A Slayer's Keeper
by alwaysanangelgurl
Summary: Buffy goes to Hogwart's to mend after sending Angel to Hell
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Note: This takes place during the third year Harry Potter is at Hogwart's and Season 2 of Buffy, when she runs away and she is the key, no Dawn.  
  
Chapter 1: The Offer  
  
The petite blonde walked slowly onto the bus and took on last look, before taking her seat and then she closed her eyes and did not look back. She refused to let the tears fall, as she made her way to LA.  
  
The Next Day: Buffy's Apartment  
  
Dream Sequence: Taken from Shooting Script  
  
Cut to a Los Angeles beach. A wave crashes on the sand. In the far distance a pier stretches out into the water. Buffy steps into view, walking barefoot across the sand. She stops and looks out over the ocean. She closes her eyes and raises her head to just feel the sun on her face and listen to the waves come in. The camera pans down from her face to her waist. A pair of hands reach around her and clasp in front, and she covers them with hers. The camera pans back up to her face. She looks back at Angel leaning his head over her shoulder. She reaches up with her hand and brushes it against his cheek.  
  
Buffy: How did you find me here?  
  
Angel: If I was blind, I would see you.  
  
She lowers her hand to take his again at her waist and closes her eyes. She embraces his arms tightly to her.  
  
Buffy: Stay with me.  
  
Angel: Forever. That's the whole point. I'll never leave. (whispering into her ear) Not even if you kill me.  
  
Buffy's expression turns from contented to dismayed.  
  
End dream sequence  
  
Buffy awoke, her heart calling out for it's mate. She heard a strange tapping and she got up and walked around her small apartment and her eyes settled on the widow, where a small owl was tapping insistently upon it.  
  
"What's up little birdie? Did you get lost?" Buffy asked, as she opened the window and let the bird in. It dropped the letter in her lap and looked at her expectantly. "Are you thirsty?" she asked and when it cooed at her, she got up and got a bowl of water for the owl and some fruit. The owl took both and closed it's eyes, while Buffy looked at the letter, that was addressed to her.  
  
Miss Buffy Summers 1023 Coney Road apt # 24 Los Angeles, CA 90001  
  
Buffy looked at the letter in shocked amazement, shrugging she opened the letter.  
  
'Dear Ms. Summers,  
  
It is with great pleasure to invite you to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Enclosed is a list of things that you will need as a third year student and someone will be coming for you to take you to Hogwart's.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore'  
  
Buffy stared at the letter in shock, but she shrugged what else was there to do? She had hurt everyone at home, and she couldn't go back, not without Angel. So she went and packed her things and waited for the person to arrive.  
  
Buffy felt the air move and she felt something coming. Suddenly there was a man standing in her room! He was dressed in black robes, he was tall, he had shoulder length black greasy hair. And he was sneering at her.  
  
"Uhh! Hi!" Buffy said, "I take it that you are my lift to Hogs-whats-ya-ma- call-it." The man lifted his eye at her lack of knowing Hogwart's name. "We can go." She told him, picking up her bag, that had Angel's jacket, clothes, and a couple of weapons, along with anything that Angel had given her. The man looked at her one bag and shrugged.  
  
"Hold tight." He told her and she did so, she closed her eyes and when she opened them, she gasped. They were in a round room, with pictures that seemed to be moving, they all looked to be headmaster's. There was a bird the size of a swan, that was red and gold, it flew over and landed on Buffy, the man looked shocked. There was a ratty old hat and numerous sounds.  
  
"Ahh, I see our new student has arrived. Thank you Serverus, you may leanve." An older man with long hair and twinkling eyes said and the man she had traveled with left. "I think Fawkes likes you." He told her, indicating to the bird on her shoulder, which Buffy was petting.  
  
"Sir, why did you ask me to come?"  
  
"Well, I know that you had no were else to go."  
  
"But I don't have any magical powers."  
  
"But that is were you are wrong." Dumbledore told her, he went to one shelf and picked up a book, opening he read out loud. "The slayer is a very rare magical creature, immune to most wizard magic, she is able to do the magic and cannot be killed by it." The man put the book down and looked at Buffy, "So you see, you have the potential." Buffy nodded her head, in shock that she was a magical creature.  
  
"And what do you mean by magical creature?" she asked, indignant.  
  
"It is not a bad thing, it is just most wizards do not possess the same skills as you." He told her. "Since you have decided to stay, we must sort you into a house." At Buffy's confused look he continued, "There are four house, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gyriffendor, and Slytherin, and your are sorted into the house that would best suite you."  
  
"Oh," Buffy said, "I have a question."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Has another slayer come here?"  
  
"Yes, many years ago."  
  
"Which house was she sorted in to?"  
  
"Slytherin." He told her, "You have to remember that the slayers power is rooted in the darkness." He told her. He went over and picked up the hat.  
  
"Well, aren't you interesting? Another slayer, it has been so long. Mhmm. You are more pure, you have more power, but you are the key also. Interesting. Oh! And your father!"  
  
"What about my father?"  
  
"He is not the one that your mother said he was."  
  
"And what's the key."  
  
"I can't tell you everything. Now, you are difficult, you would do well in either Slytherin or Gryfindor."  
  
"Not Slytherin." Buffy said.  
  
"No? Why?"  
  
"Because I am not like them, I am good." She said, trying more to convince herself than anyone else.  
  
"Alright, GRYFINDOR." The hat shouted and then fell silent, letting Dumbledore take it and put it back on the shelf.  
  
"Even though you have been sorted into Gryfindor, you will have your own room and no morning classes, because of your night time activities."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Yes, child?"  
  
"The hat called me the key and then said that my father was not the one that my mother said he was. What am I and who is he?"  
  
"Ahh, the key," Dumbledore signed something and handed it to her, "Take this to the library and you can find it in the restricted area. As for your father, yes I know who he is."  
  
"Well?" Buffy asked, impatient to know who he was.  
  
"His name is Serverus Snape." Buffy gasped! "Yes, he is the man that brought you."  
  
"Does he know?"  
  
"No." Dumbledore told her, "You can tell him if you wish, your room is near his room, I believe that he is there." Buffy nodded and got up to leave.  
  
"Uhh, how do I get there?" Dumbledore smiled and a small house elf popped in, and motioned for Buffy to follow. Buffy made her way to her room and when she got there, she put her bag down and thought about it. She got up and made her way to Snape's rooms, knocking she waited and shortly the door opened.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, impatiently.  
  
"I have a question for you."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Did you know a Joyce Summers?"  
  
"Yes." Was his one word answer, it seemed too hard for him to open up to that subject and he was about to close the door. "I'm your daughter." She blurted out. Snape looked at her.  
  
"And what you want a medal?" Snape snapped, surprised at the information, before he could correct himself or further expand, Buffy took off in a hurt anger, going back to her room and grabbing a sword and heading out into the forbidden forest.  
  
"Stupid man!" Buffy exclaimed. "Why did I bother? It's not like I am a loveable person or that anyone would want me." Buffy stopped her rant and turned around, trying to pinpoint the sensation she was feeling.  
  
"You can come out. I can feel you." She said, to whoever was trying to sneak up on her.  
  
"Do you always talk to yourself?" Snape asked, as he stepped into view.  
  
"Only when I am pissy." She answered. "What do you want? You made it clear that you don't want me as a daughter. Fine! I get it! You don't need to throw salt in the wounds. So if you don't mind heading back to the dorms and leaving me to kill something." Buffy turned around and was about to leave, but was stopped by his words.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, "I was shocked and I didn't know how to respond. I have never had another child and I loved your mother very much." He told her and she turned to face him. "I never knew about you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's complicated." He told her. They were suddenly attacked by a vampire, which knocked Snape onto the ground.  
  
"Slayer." It said.  
  
"Slayee." She responded as they began to circle each other. "I was trying to have a meaningful conversation with my dad and you had to interrupt." He threw a punch and she ducked, kicking him, "That was rude!" she told him as she swung her sword and cut off his head. Before the dust settled, Buffy was at Snape's side helping him stand.  
  
"Come on. Let's get you to the infirmary and then we can talk more. K?" Buffy asked as she helped him.  
  
"Alright." He told her, getting used to the idea of a daughter when he thought back to the fight. "You're the slayer!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Yea, one girl in all the world. Yada, yada, ya." She said, turning hard, and Snape realized it was not a subject she wished to talk about yet. They were going into the school when the headmaster approached.  
  
"Serverus," he said, "I see that you have been introduced properly to your daughter. May I borrow her for a few moments?" Buffy looked at her father and he nodded and she was about to follow Dumbledore when she heard a very familiar shout.  
  
"BUFFY!" 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Note: This takes place during the third year Harry Potter is at Hogwart's and Season 2 of Buffy, when she runs away and she is the key, no Dawn.  
  
Chapter 2: Unexpected Guest and Talking  
  
"BUFFY!"  
  
"Uh." Buffy said, looking at the man she had thought of as a father for the last several years. "Hi Giles." She said, a bit sheepishly.  
  
"HI!?" he exclaimed, "After disappearing from Sunnydale, abandoning your calling, leaving your friends and mother worried, you just say hi!" Giles asked and then he rushed forward to give her a hug. Snape took this moment to re-enter.  
  
"Get your slimy hands off of my daughter, Ripper." Snape told him, walking forward and pulling Buffy out of Giles' arms. Giles looked shocked, he looked between Snape and Buffy and back again.  
  
"Yo..our daughter?" Giles asked, stuttering slightly. "But how?"  
  
"How do you think?" Snape asked and silently laughed when Giles turned slightly red.  
  
"Yes, I understand that." He snapped, "I was wondering how you and Joyce got together." Giles told him, still looking flustered. Buffy eyed Snape, looking very interested to learn this story. "Besides, weren't you a Death Eater?" Buffy looked confused at the term, but she figured it meant something bad when her father tensed up.  
  
"Yes." Snape replied. "I met Joyce while I was working for You-know-who and we fell in love. Of course, she was married, so we never made anything of it. One day, when we were supposed to be meeting I got summoned by Him and couldn't meet her. I got to the meeting and He glorified in telling me how he got rid of my "muggle" lover and he gave explicit details." Snape gave each detail like a dirty laundry list and Giles felt sorry for the man. "That night I went to Dumbledore and I became a spy." He turned to look at Buffy, "I never knew about you, if I had I would have looked after you and you would never have left my side." Giles looked between the two and decided to leave, he turned and left while Snape was talking to Buffy.  
  
"So," Buffy said, "You're a spy? For who? What's a Death Eater? And who is You-Know-Who? Cuase I gotta say that I don't have a clue in the world about who he is." Snape sighed, not used to Buffy's ability to change the subject quickly or to talk so fast.  
  
"I am a spy for Dumbledore. I used to be a Death Eater, which means that I served Voldemort or You-Know-Who. Most people will not say his name, because they are afraid it will bring attention to themselves." Snape said.  
  
"So, you did lots of bad things?" Buffy asked, trying to figure out what type of man her father was.  
  
"Yes." Snape said simply and at Buffy's look, "I will tell you more when you are older."  
  
"Uh, hello Slayer here." Buffy reminded him, "I may not live to be much older than I am now." She watched a flash of pain cross his face at the reminder, he nodded.  
  
"I followed Voldemort," he began, "I was young and stupid and involved with the wrong crowd. I have murdered people, lots of people, people who did not deserve to die and I killed them in the most painful way possible. I have raped women and murdered children." Snape continued. "Then I met your mother, she was lovely and so full of life. I wanted to kill that spark that she had, because I didn't have it. So I got close to her and the day that I was supposed to kill her, I couldn't bring myself to do it, because she had brought that spark into my life." Snape looked lost in thought, he wasn't really paying attention to anyone, he just seemed to be saying it to get it off his chest. "so, I continued to see her in secret, thinking I could keep it away from Voldemort. Then, he called me to the meeting. He told me that he had another Death Eater go and pick up Joyce. He waved his hand and there was a picture of what the Death Eater was doing to her." Snape looked ready to cry and Buffy got up to hug him, he held onto her tightly, like she was a dream and might go away.  
  
"I watched as she was raped by five other men and then they killed her. They cut her slowly, while Voldemort made me watch. I watched her bleed to death. Well I thought it was her, but here you are and from what you say she is still alive." Snape said, holding her tightly. "I was furious, I was angrey at the world and I wanted revenge. So I talked to Dumbledore and he said that I could switch sides and escape being sent to prison." Snape looked at her, waiting for the revulsion that he knew would be coming. He was shocked when Buffy accepted what he said and she still had not gotten up to leave. "so, I started to spy, but Voldemort fell to someone we had not expected, a young boy. And I came here to teach."  
  
"Who was the boy? How did he fall?"  
  
"The boy was Harry Potter, Voldemort went to kill the Potters for standing against him, but the Potters were going into hiding, but they were betrayed. So, Voldemort followed and as he was about to kill Harry Potter his mother gave his life for him, making the spell backfire onto Voldemort." Snape explained, relishing having someone to share everything with and having someone to hold and love. "Around the time that Harry Potter started school here, Voldemort started to rise again in power. He cannot take a form yet, but he still has a form and he is still dangerous." Snape told her. "Alright, your turn. How long have you been the slayer?" "Two years. I was called when I was fifteen. Mom and I were living in LA at the time and this British guy approached me and told me that I had a destiny. I faced Lothos, but not before he killed some of my friends and my watcher, so I decided to give up slaying." She told him. "We moved to Sunnydale, after mom got a divorce.."  
  
"The Mouth of Hell!" Snape exclaimed.  
  
"Yep," Buffy said, "I moved there and the first day I was met with a dead body in the locker. So, I went to Giles, who had tried to give me a book about vampires earlier and I told him. He asked me if I killed it and I told him that the body wasn't a vampire and that I wasn't going to be a slayer anymore. Boy was I wrong." She stopped to take a deep breath, so that she could collect herself, as memories of Angel assaulted her. "That night I went to the local club, the Bronze, and met Willow and Xander there. But on the way, I could feel someone following me, so I jumped up onto a bar and waited, and he walked into the alley. I knocked him down and asked him why he was following me. He told me that he knew I was the slayer and that he wanted me to help kill them all, he tossed me a cross and disappeared into the night." She smiled at the memory and touched the cross that she was now wearing; Snape noticed the claddaugh ring that was also on her finger.  
  
"That night, Willow and Xander managed to get caught by vampires, so I went after them and saved them, but they had taken Jessie and I was once again reminded that I couldn't save everyone." She stopped talking and looked at Snape, he was looking at her thoughtfully. "So, Giles set up a training schedule and I started being a slayer."  
  
"Giles is your watcher?" Snape asked, and at Buffy's nod he continued, "I never thought I would see the day that a Slyterin would be a Watcher, especially Ripper." He told her and then he thought about it. "What happened to the guy you knocked down?" he asked, she saw her smile slightly and then close up.  
  
"He was a vampire, with a soul and he helped me. We started to date and I made him lose his soul and then sent him to hell." She told him stiffly, she got up and ran from the room, not noticing her Watcher coming back to talk to her.  
  
"Buffy." Snape yelled, but she didn't listen, she continued to run, leaving Snape in the dust and very confused. He turned to Giles, "What happened?"  
  
"That was what I was about to ask you." Giles told him, "So, your Buffy's father? Where have you been these last few years?" Ripper asked and Snape knew that voice, but he refused to be intimidated by him.  
  
"I didn't know about her until yesterday." Snape told him, "She was telling me about some guy she was involved in and she got upset and ran out." Snape started hard at Giles, knowing he knew something.  
  
"Yes, well that is her story to tell." Giles said and turned to leave.  
  
"I have missed enough of her life, please." Snape pleaded and Giles was shocked, he had never known Snape to plead with anyone about anything.  
  
"You do not say anything to her." Giles told him and Snape nodded. "She was seeing a vampire, named Angel.."  
  
"The Scourge of Europe?!?" Snape exclaimed, shock evident in his tone.  
  
"Yes." Giles said simply, annoyed to be interrupted, well at least he knew where Buffy got it from. "He was cursed by gypsy's with a soul, but the curse had a loop hole. If he had a moment of happiness then Angelus would return."  
  
"And he had that moment." Snape guessed. "Oh God!"  
  
"Yes, well he tried to raise Acatha and end the world and she had to send him to Hell and then she ran away." Giles told him, filling in what few blanks he knew. Giles watched as Snape processed the information, he decided that it was time for him to be alone and turned to leave.  
  
"No, Wait!" Snape called out. "Tell me what she is like." Giles nodded and sat down next to Snape.  
  
"She is very stubborn and impatient, but she is bright, extremely bright." Giles said, as a smile played across his face. "She is able to think on her feet and an adept fighter, she has been through allot and she has her moments of being mature, but she is definitely full of life." Giles said and Snape smiled. They continued to talk, Giles telling Buffy stories and Snape telling Giles what had happened in the wizard world since he had left.  
  
Meanwhile:  
  
Buffy ran through the hallways at Hogwart's unsure of where she was going, but knowing that she had to go somewhere. She settled on going to the Forbidden Forest and killing something, many something's.  
  
Buffy entered the forest and felt the darkness over take her. She could feel everything magical and non-magical moving towards her. She could distinguish the bad from the good and she could tell that the good were not sure if they should come near her or not. She could feel something that was pure light coming towards her, she assumed that it was a unicorn, from what Dumbledore had told her about them.  
  
Three unicorns entered the clearing and circled around her, they ran foraward and neighed, each wanting attention and to be petted. Buffy was taken aback, because they weren't supposed to come up to her, but she didn't care, she petted them and she could feel them trying to comfort her. She smiled at them and let them rub up against her, when they all tensed; she sent the unicorns off and waited for whatever it was to come forward.  
  
Buffy was shocked when a large, iridescent and multicolored dragon flew into the clearing. It allowed bright red flames to escape from its mouth as it tried to scorch Buffy. She was still in shock, but she had enough sense to dodge out of the way and duck behind a rock. She cursed herself for being so stupid as to not have brought some type of weapon to fight with, not that she had been thinking clearly anyways.  
  
As Buffy was thinking what to do, the dragon had found something new to play with. It stood about six feet tall; the front was an eagle, while the hind was the body of a lion, with great gaping wings. It seemed to be discussing with the dragon and flying out of the dragon's reach. This went on for a while, before the dragon bowed to the Griffin and took off into the air, leaving Buffy and the Griffin alone.  
  
The Griffin approached Buffy and sat down and seemed to motion for Buffy to get on it's back. Buffy approached the great beast cautiously and petted him. It seemed to like that, because it leaned into her touch. Buffy smiled and tentatively got on it's back, the Griffin spread it's wings and took off into the air flying towards Hogwart's.  
  
Buffy loved being in the air, she felt so free like she hadn't had the year from hell and that she was a normal girl. Well, as normal as Buffy got. The Griffin sensed her mood and flew circles around Hogwart's before landing in front of Dumbledore, Giles, and Snape.  
  
"Buffy!" Giles and Snape exclaimed together, after giving a brief look at each other, Snape continued. "There is a dragon loose."  
  
"Ya, I already met him." She said, she petted the Griffin and she heard a shocked gasp as everyone finally realized what had brought Buffy home.  
  
"Is that?" Snape asked.  
  
"Good Lord!" Giles exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, it is a Griffin." Dumbledore told them.  
  
"But what is it doing with Buffy?" Snape asked, turning to face the headmaster.  
  
"Well, Griffins protect treasure and Buffy is something that needs to be protected." Dumbledore told them, before turning and leaving. Buffy continued to pet the Griffin.  
  
"So, you're a Griffin and you're here to protect me?" She asked, half expecting it to answer.  
  
"Yes." It told her. "I am Anlon (champion)."  
  
"So, thanks for saving me and I'll see you around?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, for I will not be leaving until you are safe." Anlon told her, "Dumbledore shall allow me to stay here." Dumbledore came back outside and looked at Anlon.  
  
"You can sleep in the room next to Buffy's. I gave her, her own room, so you should just have to move in." Dumbledore told Anlon. "Although you cannot go to her classes with her." Everyone made their way inside. Snape kept looking back at Anlon, still not trusting him anywhere near his Buffy, but he decided that she might need all the protection she could get. Giles was walking, when he suddenly stopped and caused everyone to run into him.  
  
"What did you mean that Buffy was a treasure that needed to be protected?" Giles asked, eyeing Buffy and Dumbledore. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Note: Buffy's mom is younger, despite the fact that she will not be appearing. I enjoy cliff hangers and I'll try not to rush! Set after Season Two, so Buffy is about 17 and Oliver would be just a smidge older! Thanks for the reviews.  
  
Chapter 3: More Explaining and Diagon Alley  
  
Buffy looked between her father and Giles and then at Dumbledore, she gave a heavy sigh.  
  
"Can we do this later? Cause I am kind of hungry and would prefer to eat now." She asked, hoping to avoid the issue for a little while longer. Snape nodded and Giles nodded slowly.  
  
"But don't think that we are going to forget about this." Giles said, as him and Snape made their way to the dinning hall chatting.  
  
"They've certainly become best friends." Buffy said, looking at Dumbledore, "I thought they hated each other. Or rather Dad hated him." Dumbledore chuckled and showed Buffy where Anlon could go, so that he could get food. Dumbledore then led Buffy to the dinning hall, he delighted in the way the slayer's eyes were drawn up to the ceiling.  
  
"It's an enchantment." Dumbledore told her. She gazed up as she could see the sky through the ceiling.  
  
"Who did it?" Buffy asked, loving it thoroughly, "And can they do it to my room?"  
  
"I did," Dumbledore told her, flashing her a smile when she looked at him in shock. "And I might be able to do your room too, but we will have to ask your father." Dumbledore told her. Buffy waited for all of five seconds, before she went sprinting to Snape and Giles.  
  
"Dad?" she asked, in what Giles referred to as her "puppy dog" face, "Is it alright for Dumbledore to enchant my room, so the ceiling is like the dinning hall?" she asked, missing the gasps that came from the other teachers, when Buffy had referred to Snape as her father, but Snape hadn't. The thought running through all their heads was that maybe Giles was Buffy's father and not Snape, but that idea was quickly changed.  
  
"I guess, but if your school work goes down or you don't get enough sleep, then it goes." He told her and the teachers gasped again. Snape had a child! Dumbledore smiled at the rest of the faculty.  
  
"School work?" Buffy asked, "Last time I looked it was summer and there was no school work for this girl!"  
  
"Yes, well that was before you were going to a wizarding school where you needed to make up the last two years you would have missed, in order to catch up with the rest of your class, before the school year starts." Snape said and him and Giles laughed when her face fell.  
  
"But on a good note, he'll have to take you shopping so that you can get a wand and uniform and books and a familiar." Giles said to her and Buffy broke into a huge smile, while Snape simply glared at him and Giles smirked at him.  
  
"I thought I would act as her familiar," Anlon said, coming into the dining hall, getting more gasps from the teachers.  
  
"You're kind of big." Snape told him and Anlon's face fell and Buffy petted him. The teachers gasped in shock that Snape would have gotten Buffy a griffin and that the griffin would have stayed with her.  
  
"Yes," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat and directing everyone's attention to him, "I would like to introduce you to Buffy Summers or is it Snape?" Dumbledore asked and Buffy looked at Snape to see what he was going to say. "And Anlon, who will be staying with Buffy in her room, so please do not be frightened of him."  
  
"We have yet to decided which name she will be using." He said simply, sending a comforting glance to Buffy, who was returning the curious stares she got from the teachers. Buffy began to shift uncomfortably at the amount of attention she was receiving and stepped closer to Anlon, for support.  
  
"Do I have something on my nose?" she asked, leaning over to ask Giles, who smiled and shook his head.  
  
"No," Snape told her, "They are just interested in my daughter, since I have never mentioned having family before now." Snape proceeded to his seat and motioned Buffy and Giles into the seats next to him. Buffy decided to act as though she did not notice that everyone was staring at her and walked nonchalantly to the table where she took a seat next to her father, Giles laughed and took the seat next to Buffy.  
  
"So," Buffy asked, looking at Snape, "When are we going shopping?" Snape looked a little frightened to be going shopping with a teenage girl and Giles started to laugh. Before he could reply, food suddenly appeared before them, causing Buffy to gasp in surprise.  
  
"Where did it come from?" Buffy asked, eyeing the food with a curious distrust, glaring at her Watcher when he laughed.  
  
"I'm sorry," Giles said, not sounding like he really meant it. "It is just such a delight having you here, because you are so unused to everyone using magic." Snape nodded his agreement, although he was happy to have his daughter there in general.  
  
"It was magic." Snape said, "Dumbledore uses his magic to call the house elves and they magically make the food appear before us. It is quite safe to eat." Snape told her as he watched her poke at the food, as though it would reach up and bite her. Snape and Giles picked up their forks and began to eat, trying to coax the slayer into eating. She eyed them; waiting a few minutes, almost afraid that they would both disappear or that they would be killed by simply eating the food. When it appeared that the food was not going to harm them, she picked up her fork and began to eat. She picked up her goblet and she sniffed, wrinkling her nose in disgust.  
  
"Uhh. What is this?" She asked and Giles and Snape laughed, once again receiving a glare from Buffy.  
  
"It is pumpkin cider." Snape told her. "It is quite good." Buffy took a tiny sip and she quickly spit it back into the cup.  
  
"I'll take my soda over that any day." She told him and gasped again, when her cider was changed to soda and then she smiled happily. Snape gasped when she smiled, because her smile seemed to light up the whole room. Giles smiled behind his goblet as he watched Snape and Buffy interact, he realized that Buffy would finally have a father that loved her.  
  
Dinner ended and everyone went to their rooms, most still trying to get a good look at Buffy and Anlon, who walked behind Buffy. The teachers watched as Buffy smiled and laughed with her watcher and even Snape and were shocked to see that side of Snape and also that Snape had raised someone that was so full of life, it was just mind boggling.  
  
Buffy said goodnight to her watcher and her father at her door and she closed her door, extremely excited for the next day, because Snape was taking her to Diagon Alley! Buffy fell asleep and that night she was not awakened by a nightmare of Angel.  
  
Next Day  
  
Buffy was awakened by the sound of knocking, stumbling out of bed she made her way to the door. Upon opening the door, she found her dad standing there.  
  
"Yes?" she asked.  
  
"We will be leaving in a half hour." Snape told her, obviously Giles had told him that Buffy took a long time to get ready. She stared at him for a second, trying to figure out where she was going and then she remembered! Shopping! She slammed the door and rushed to get a change of clothes and then rushed to the bathroom. Taking a quick shower, she changed into a pair of low-rise blue jeans and a white tank top; she pulled her hair back and ran out into the hallway, straight into her dad.  
  
"Well, that didn't take as long as I expected it would." Snape told her, as they began to walk to a fireplace. "You are going to wear that?" he asked and Buffy looked down at her clothes.  
  
"Why is there something wrong with them?"  
  
"Aren't they a little revealing?" Snape asked, thinking of all the boys that would be at Diagon Alley, ogling his daughter.  
  
"No." She said, as she turned to Anlon, "you have to stay here." She told him and she could have sworn that the griffin pouted. Laughing she petted him, "We don't want to attract too much attention."  
  
"Yes, with the way you are dressed, he would go unnoticed," Snape muttered and received a glare from his daughter. He damned the slayer hearing that allowed her to pick up on it; it would make for an interesting year to say the least. "Shall we?" he asked, leading them to the fireplace.  
  
"How are we going to get there?" she asked, when he pulled out a small leather pouch.  
  
"Flew." He stated and then explained. "This fireplace is connected to the fireplaces in Diagon Alley, you are to say the name clearly, throw the powder into the fireplace and then walk through and it will take you there." He explained and handed her the powder.  
  
"Diagon Alley." Buffy stated clearly and then walked through and stumbled into an alley full of people wearing robes like her dad. She felt someone tap her shoulder and she turned, prepared to hit them if necessary and found her dad.  
  
"This way, we need to get your robes made." He told her, as they made their way to the shop that said 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.' Buffy shrugged and followed behind, trying to take in as much as the alley as she could.  
  
"Hogwart's." the witch stated and turned to point, "Back that way, another young man is being pinned up as we speak." She told them and then looked at Snape. "What are you doing here professor?" she asked and then she drew him into a coversation about certain potions to use and such. Buffy, being bored, went out back as saw a young man, who was standing on the foot stool.  
  
"Sorry," she muttered as she turned to leave.  
  
"No, it's okay," a Scottish voice told her, "I don't mind. Won't you come back in?" he asked, Buffy nodded and sat down in a seat in the back. "Are you a transfer?" he asked, "I haven't seen you before."  
  
"Uhh, sort of." She told him.  
  
"Sort of?" he asked, confused, either she was or she wasn't.  
  
"I just found about being a wizard and I have to make up for two years, so that I can enter as a third year." She told him, looking at him.  
  
'He's cute and his accent is just yummy!' she thought, looking the boy over.  
  
"I am going to be a seventh year. Have you been sorted?" he asked.  
  
'She's cute. I wonder if she has a boyfriend or which house she is in. She dresses strangely though, although the clothes accent her body.' Oliver thought, eyeing the petite blonde.  
  
"Yes," she told him, shaking her away her thoughts, "Gryffindor." She told him and he smiled.  
  
"I am in Gryffindor too!" he told her.  
  
"All done, you can step down," the witch told him and helped him shrug out of the robe. But as he was stepping down he tripped and landed on Buffy.  
  
"Wood!" Snape yelled, walking in, "I would appreciate it if you would get off of my daughter." He practically growled at the young man and Buffy had to stifle a laugh at the look of disbelief that crossed his face, as he scrambled to get off of her.  
  
"Maybe we should start again." She said, "Hi! I'm Buffy Snape." She said, deciding right then and there to use her father's last name. She held out her hand and Oliver shook it, both of them missing the shocked look that settled on the witch's face.  
  
"Oliver Wood." He replied and Snape glared at him.  
  
'Well, there goes that.' Buffy thought as she watched Oliver practically run to get away from her. She turned to glare at her father, who was looking innocent.  
  
"What?" he asked quite pleased with himself.  
  
"Why did you do that?" she asked. "I know that you are supposed to be protective, but he was nice and no evil vibes." She told him as she stepped up onto the stool, to be fitted for the robes. "Do they have to be black? Can't they be green or something else?"  
  
"I didn't do anything and no, they have to be black."  
  
"School uniform?" she asked and then sighed when he nodded.  
  
'I suppose it could be worse.' She thought to herself.  
  
She was so lost in thought, she didn't hear the witch the first time she told her that she was done. Blushing red, Buffy got off of the stool and followed her father to a shop that read 'Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands since 382 b.c.'. An old man, with wide pale eyes walked out from the back of the store.  
  
"Hello, you must be Buffy Snape, the slayer." Ollivander stated. "Here to pick up a wand I suppose?" at her nod, he continued, "I have just the wand for you." He walked out pack and came back shortly. "Eight inches, maple and a drop of vampire blood. Go ahead give it a wave." Buffy waved the wand and grimaced when the shelves splintered, Ollivander grabbed the wand, "Wrong vampire, try this one." He said, handing her a new one and Buffy waved the wand and a slight breeze around the room "Perfect. Eleven inches, holly and a drop of an ensouled vampire."  
  
"Angel." Buffy said, before turning and running out of the store, running right into Oliver Wood, who put his arms around her, to steady her.  
  
"I'm sorry." She cried and the tears started to spill over.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, his arms still around her, from where he had caught her. Buffy shook her head and continued to cry more. "Want to talk about it?" he asked, feeling a pull at his heart, watching the tiny blonde cry. "Want to go to Leaky Cauldron and get something to eat?" he offered, when Buffy had said no to the talking. Buffy nodded and Oliver took her hand and led her to the Leaky Cauldron, where Oliver ordered hot chocolate and some fries for them. They sat towards the door and Oliver asked her just everyday mundane questions.  
  
"So, where are you from?"  
  
"Sunnydale, California," at his blank stare, "United States. You?"  
  
"Scotland."  
  
"Explains the yummy accent." Buffy said and then realized what she had said and turned a nice shade of red, while Oliver smiled.  
  
"Buffy Anne Snape!" Snape growled and every single person in the place turned and looked at Buffy. "Don't ever run off like that again. Do you know how worried I was?"  
  
"Sorry dad." Buffy muttered and everyone looked at Snape in shock.  
  
"Yes, she is my bloody daughter." Snape yelled and turned back to his daughter. "Going now." He said, but before she could leave, he turned back to Oliver, "You." He started and Oliver looked extremely scared, "you can teach her how to fly." Oliver looked shocked, Snape was going to entrust his daughter with him for more than two minutes?  
  
"Are we done shopping?" Buffy asked.  
  
"No, we need to pick you up a broom." Snape said and Buffy followed him into another store and gasped. There were so many brooms, although she had no idea what kind she was supposed to get.  
  
"Nifty." She said, looking around.  
  
"We need to get you the newest broom." He told her and they approached the store clerk and soon she had a broom. Following Snape back to the fireplace, they returned to Hogwart's.  
  
"Why don't you put this stuff in your room?" he suggested and Buffy gathered all her stuff and began to her room. "Do you need help?" he asked, because there was so much stuff.  
  
"No," she told him, "Slayer strength does come in handy." She reached her room and gave the password. Opening the door, she put her stuff on the bed and petted Anlon, when she noticed something that hadn't been there before. A birdcage with a phoenix sitting in it, with a note attached.  
  
'Buffy,  
  
I have missed so many of your birthdays and I remembered how Fawkes reacted to you. So, I decided to get you a phoenix as your familiar. She does not have a name yet, but you can name her.  
  
Love,  
  
Your Father.'  
  
Buffy read the note and then opened her door and ran down the hallway to her father's door, where she knocked. When he answered she pulled him into a big hug.  
  
"Not that I'm not enjoying this, but I need to breathe." Snape told her and Buffy quickly let go of him.  
  
"Sorry, I forget my slayer strength sometimes." She told him. "Thank you so much. Hank rarely remembered my birthday and mom was sometimes to busy to celebrate it." Snape felt an irrational anger to the man that had raised his child.  
  
"Your welcome. Now go get some sleep, we start tomorrow at nine and you have a flying lesson with Wood tomorrow afternoon." 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Note: Buffy's mom is younger, despite the fact that she will not be appearing. I enjoy cliff hangers and I'll try not to rush! Set after Season Two, so Buffy is about 17 and Oliver would be just a smidge older! Thanks for the reviews.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Buffy sighed in boredom, she had just gotten out of potions with her father and she was amazingly advanced for never having studied the subject. She was advanced in all of her subjects, but most especially Defense Against the Dark Arts, although she hadn't met the teacher, instead her father had been teaching her. She got praises from all of her teachers for being a quick study and so far advanced that she could easily surpass the third years without trying very hard.  
  
Her flying was incredible also, she had learned everything she was supposed to learn about flying that first day and Oliver had been teaching her how to play the different positions in Quidditch, although she was better at a beater, because of her slayer strength, but she was a great as a chaser too, because she was tiny. Anlon would join Buffy and Oliver in the air, loving being able to fly free and they would occasionally play tag, until Snape would get worried and yell at them. Oliver had finally taught Buffy everything he knew about Quidditch and the summer was almost over. Actually the summer was over and school would start the following day, although she was supposed to go patrolling that night with Giles, she was supposed to go and get on the train, so that she could meet more people, which meant she had to get up early. Buffy sighed, again, and got up to go get Giles.  
  
"Giles?" Buffy asked, as she gave the password to the picture and stepped into his room. "It's time to go on patrol."  
  
"I'll be out in one second, Buffy." He called from the bathroom, where he emerged where his normal tweed. They walked out into Hogwart's courtyard where Anlon was waiting patiently for them; he could not wait to fly. As Giles and Buffy walked towards the forbidden forest, Anlon took off into the air, he would warn them should anything come their way.  
  
"How is Angel?" Giles asked, at first Buffy thought that he meant her Angel, the one she had sent to hell, but then she remembered that she had finally named her phoenix Angel, in remembrance of her Angel.  
  
"Good. She is upstairs in my room sleeping, I'm have her cage out, so that we can go on the train tomorrow." Buffy told him and tensed, because she could feel something coming, just then Anlon landed.  
  
"Vampires." He told them, "About ten of them, on their way." They stood side by side, waiting for the vampires to walk out of the woods; they didn't have long to wait.  
  
"Slayer." One hissed.  
  
"Yep, that would be me." Buffy said flippantly, before throwing a stake into its heart and watching it explode in dust. "Whose next?" she asked and the vampires looked at each other in confusion, before shrugging and making a very sloppy, uncoordinated attack on Anlon, Giles, and Buffy. The fight lasted all of three minutes, but Giles was once again knocked unconscious.  
  
"Are you sure we aren't in Sunnydale?" Giles asked rubbing the back of his head, while Buffy helped him to stand.  
  
"Yes, according to Oliver, we are somewhere in Scotland." She told him and laughed at his disgruntled face.  
  
"Well, lets head in, it is time for you to go to bed, so that you can make the train." Giles told her and Buffy made a face at him, while Anlon took one last look from the air, to make sure everything was okay. He landed next to them and followed them inside.  
  
"Good night, Giles." Buffy said, kissing him on the check and then heading to her room, where she changed into her pajamas and fell asleep, with Anlon asleep at the end of her bed and Angel at the top.  
  
Next Morning: Train  
  
Buffy sat in the compartment by herself, waiting for the rest of the students to board.  
  
"Stupid dad and Giles. "It will be good for you,"" she mimicked, in a fake British accent, " "You need to get out more." Yea, well just look at all the students flocking around here." She said to herself, indicating her empty compartment.  
  
"I hope you don't mind if I join you." Oliver said, walking into the compartment and Buffy blushed a bright red, when she realized that he had heard a great deal of what she had said.  
  
"No, go right ahead." She said. "So, how have you been?"  
  
"Good. I'm excited to be going back to Hogwarts." He told her, as he set his owl next to Angel.  
  
"Sure you are," she said, teasing him, "you just want Quidditch to start." Oliver shrugged and grinned, knowing that Buffy was right.  
  
"Speaking of.."  
  
"That's all you speak of." Interrupted a new voice. It belonged to a young man, with unruly black hair and a lighting bolt scar, Buffy looked him over for a moment, realizing that this was the boy that her father had told her about and turned back to Oliver.  
  
"Yes, so?" Oliver asked, indicating that Harry should join them.  
  
"I'm just saying that if you paid as much attention as you do with Quidditch to your school work, you would be the top of your class." Harry told him and then turned to Buffy. "Hi. I'm Harry Potter." He waited for Buffy to go nuts over his name and ask for his autograph or something like that.  
  
"Buffy." She said, purposely keeping her last name a secret for the moment.  
  
"Which year are you?"  
  
"Third." She said, looking back at Oliver, "So what had you wanted to tell me before?"  
  
"Oh! Katie Bell won't be attending Hogwarts anymore." He told her.  
  
"What!" Harry asked shocked, "How do you know?"  
  
"I talked to Katie, although she wishes us luck, especially against Slytherin." Oliver told Harry, before looking back at Buffy, "I think that you should try out." Oliver told her and Harry just looked shocked, he couldn't imagine the small, blonde girl playing Quidditch. Before he could say anything though a man dressed in tattered robes opened the door.  
  
"Would you mind if I stayed here?" he asked, looking at everyone in the group. Buffy looked at him as her spidey sense went off, she nodded and he sat down.  
  
"I am Professor Lupin." He said, "I will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, along with Rupert Giles."  
  
"I'm Oliver Wood." Oliver said, pointing to Harry, "Harry Potter, and she's Buffy." He told the professor. Lupin looked at Buffy and they exchanged glances, both realizing that there was more to be said. Oliver and Harry got up.  
  
"If you will excuse us, we will be right back, we need to go find the rest of the team and Harry's friends." They quickly departed leaving Buffy and Lupin alone in the compartment.  
  
"So," Buffy started looking at him, "What are you?" Lupin glanced at her sharply and then quickly looked around. "Don't worry no one is around that can hear you." She told him.  
  
"I'm a werewolf and how did you know?" he asked.  
  
"I'm the slayer."  
  
"Oh." He said, falling silent and then looking at her, "So, is Snape your father?" he asked.  
  
"Yes." She said, "How did you know?"  
  
"I can smell him on you, but I can also smell Ripper on you."  
  
"He's my watcher."  
  
"oh." They fell silent again, but that was okay, because Harry arrived back with Hermione and Ron. They entered the compartment and the introductions started again.  
  
"I am Hermione Granger, the red hair boy is Ron Weasley." She said, looking at Buffy and Lupin with interst.  
  
"I'm Buffy." She said simply, "And he's Professor Lupin, he's our new DADA teacher." Everyone settled in for a long ride, each person taking turns asking questions, while Lupin slept in the compartment.  
  
Around mid-afternoon, a young man and two companions opened the door.  
  
"Well, look who it is," the boy said as he opened the compartment door, "Potty and the Weasel." Ron jumped to his feet and approached the boy.  
  
"What do you want Malfoy?" he asked and Buffy got a really good look at him, Spike!  
  
"I heard that your father got a little bit of gold this summer, Wesal. Did you mother did of shock?" he asked and Ron looked ready to punch him, but Buffy beat him to it. She grabbed him by the throat and held him to the comparment door.  
  
"Hey, mini-Spike, why don't you take a hike the way you came out?" she said and let him slide down the door.  
  
"Why you no good mudblood!" he said, reaching for his wand, but Buffy grabbed him again.  
  
"I have no idea what a mudblood is, but I know by the way everyone in this room gasped that it is not good. So here is the deal, you walk away and leave us alone and I won't tell my father or you get your ass kicked and you can't walk away and my father will find out."  
  
"Ohh. I'm so scared." Malfoy muttered, refusing to be intimidated by the blonde girl. "Who is your father? Some muggle?" Buffy grabbed his wand hand and twisted, until Malfoy went down on his knees from pain.  
  
"No," she said smiling, "My father is Professor Snape." Everyone in the compartment gasped in shock, except for Oliver who had already known. "Now leave." She let go of his arm and kicked him into the hallway, but as she was closing the door, she heard him mutter,  
  
"Sure he is, stupid mudblood." It would have been soft enough that a normal human wouldn't have been able to hear it, but Buffy wasn't normal. Without thought, she kicked him hard, sending him into the other side of the train, causing people to stick their heads out. She walked over and picked him up.  
  
"If you ever say that to me again, you will find out how much pain you can stand, before you pass out." She said and let him go, but as she was closing the door, she stopped and looked at him. "By the way, I will be informing my father." She closed the door and turned around to look at the rest of the group, who was staring at her in shock.  
  
"That was amazing!" Ron said, "Will you marry me?" he asked and everyone started to laugh.  
  
"You know I should deduct points." Lupin said, surprising everyone that he was awake, except for Buffy who had heard his breathing change, "But I believe that Mr. Malfoy needed to be taught that lesson." Lupin told them, before turning over and really going to sleep. Everyone looked out the window and noticed that it was nearly dark.  
  
"We must be there soon." Ron said and as he said the train came to a stop.  
  
"We can't be there yet." Hermione said and suddenly the lights went out, throwing everyone into mass hysteria, except for Buffy who could see well enough.  
  
"Whose in here?" asked a small frightened voice.  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It's Hermione, come in here and sit."  
  
"No, not here," Oliver said, as Ginny tried to sit on his lap.  
  
"Out," Neville exclaimed, when she stepped on his foot.  
  
"Shh!" Buffy and Lupin said at the same time. Suddenly the compartment was lit and Lupin was holding something that looked to be on fire.  
  
"Stay here," he commanded, but before he could reach the door, it was slid open. The creature took a look inside and it's gaze settled on Buffy and Harry.  
  
Buffy could see herself thrusting a sword through Angel and her mind replayed everything that had happened to her. She gave a startled scream and got up, advancing on the creature. Grabbing the creature, she felt a chill go through her and she could feel everything that Angel had, screaming in rage Buffy ripped it's head off and then passed out.  
  
"Buffy?" she heard a voice ask, "Can you hear me?"  
  
"Yea." She said, "What happened?"  
  
"Well, you took out a dementor." Lupin told her, "They guard Azkaban." He told her and then handed her a piece of chocolate. "This should help you." He turned and left the room, while Buffy looked around, she noticed Harry had a piece too. She also noticed that they had picked up more people and that she was sitting on the ground.  
  
"You can either sit on my lap or have my seat." Oliver said, when he noticed that she was awake. Buffy thought it over and got up, making her way to Oliver, where she sat on his lap and snuggled into him falling asleep.  
  
When the train stopped moving, Oliver simply picked Buffy up and carried her, not wanting to wake her, everyone exchanged glances. It seemed their Quidditch captain had finally fallen in love.  
  
"First ye'rs this way." Hagrid cried and they piled into carriages, where they arrived at Hogwarts. Snape and Giles rushed outside and waited for the carriages to stop. When they saw Oliver carrying Buffy they assumed the worse and went running. Snape swept her up in his arms and carried her to the medical room.  
  
"Poppy!" Giles exclaimed.  
  
"She needs help." He said and their yelling had awakened Buffy.  
  
"Hey dad." she said and then noticed her surroundings, "No! We need to leave." Giles winced, remembering how much Buffy did not like hospitals.  
  
"It's okay Buffy, she is going to make sure you are okay and then you can go to your room." Giles said, shooting a glance at Snape.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"What seems to be the problem?" Poppy asked.  
  
"They meet a dementor." Lupin said, as he escorted Harry into the room. Snape and Giles looked at him sharply, before looking back at Buffy.  
  
"I'm fine," she told him, "Besides I took care of the nasty thing."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well I decapitated it."  
  
"With her bare hands." Lupin said, looking at Buffy and Snape, who was glaring at him. "I gave them chocolate on the train, but she passed out, so I just wanted to be sure she was alright."  
  
"I'm fine." She said, "Can I go?" without waiting for a response, Buffy hopped off the bed and made her way out of the room, Harry following her example.  
  
"Care to explain?" Snape asked, looking at Giles.  
  
"She is afraid of hospitals." He turned and looked at Lupin, "Long time no see." They nodded to each other and then followed the two teenagers out of the room, they arrived at the feast, just in time to see Buffy and Harry sit down at their table.  
  
"Welcome!" Dumbledore said, "I have a few announcements to make. First off, our school is playing host to some dementors, who are looking for an escaped prisoner." He waited for everything to calm down before continuing. "I have the pleasure of introducing some new professors. First would be Professor Lupin who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts," there was some applause, but it mostly came from the Gryffindor table. "Next there is Professor Giles, who will be assisting Professor Lupin." There was some more applause and Buffy stood up and clapped the loudest. "Finally, our new care of Magical Creatures is Rubeus Hagrid." The entire Gryffindor table stood up and clapped. "And we have a new student, Buffy Snape." Buffy stood up and the entire hall was quite, she could see Malfoy glaring at her and then he looked a bit worried as he realized that she had been telling the truth. "Let the feast begin!"  
  
When the feast ended, everyone stood and was headed back to their rooms, except Buffy who was walking towards her room.  
  
"Buffy." Hermione said, "Our dorm is this way."  
  
"I have my own room." Buffy said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I can't really tell you." She said and then walked down to her room, where she opened the door and quickly went inside, leaving the terrible trio to wonder what had happened and who she was that she was able to have her own room.  
  
Later that Night:  
  
Buffy walked down the hallway and made her way to her father's room, giving the password she stepped inside.  
  
"Hey, dad." she said and he turned to look at her. She walked over to him and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry about the whole hospital wing thing." She started off, "But I am terrified of hospitals, ever since I was little not that the Der Kinstood helped any." She muttered and Snape tucked that knowledge away to later ask Giles about it.  
  
"It's okay. But you do have school tomorrow, so you need to head off to bed." He said.  
  
"Okay." Buffy gave him a quick hug and was turning to leave, she stopped and looked at him. "What is a mudblood?" Buffy took a step back as Snape stood, she had never seen him so mad.  
  
"Who said that to you?" he asked through clenched teeth.  
  
"Malfoy." She said and almost felt sorry for him, because her father looked ready to kill. "I met him on the train. I was talking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and he came in a started to harass them, so I grabbed him and told him to leave and he called me a mudblood. Then he told me that I was lying about who my father was." Buffy told him, filling him in on everything that had taken place. "Also, what is a dementor?" Snape was momentarily distracted from his thoughts of torturing Malfoy by the question.  
  
"They guard the Azkaban prison and force the prisoners to relive their most horrible memorie. But a demontor kiss has the ability to steal a soul." He told her. "now, you really should be off to bed." He told her and wondered what the dementor had forced her to face. She gave him another hug and went back to her room, where she curled up to Anlon and fell asleep. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Buffy woke up and got ready, her first class would be transfiguration, followed by lunch and then Care of Magical Creatures. As Buffy stepped into the classroom, she noticed that no one looked exceptionally happy, taking a seat next to Harry she decided to ask what was up.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi." He said in reply, although he sounded like he had other things on his mind.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, indicating the class that was not impressed when Professor McGonagall turned herself into a tabby cat.  
  
"That is what I want to know, Ms. Snape." The professor said, looking over the class.  
  
"Well, we just came from Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves."  
  
"There is no need to say anymore, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "Which one of you is going to die?"  
  
"I am," Harry said and the rest of the class looked at him with pity.  
  
"Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawny has predicted the death of at least one student since she started teaching here. And not one of those students has died, but seeing death signs is her way of greeting a new class. True Seers are very few and far between, I will tell you that I have little patience with it." She looked around the class as she said it. "You look in good health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off of the homework. Although if you die, you need not hand it in." Hermione and Buffy started to laugh and Harry even felt better. McGonagall went on with the lesson and then assigned homework, and the class left to go to lunch.  
  
"But what about Neville's cup?" Ron asked, still not willing to give up that Trelawney's predictions where fake.  
  
"Ron, cheer up," Hermione told him, "You heard what Professor McGonagall said." She pushed the stew dish towards Buffy, who put some on her plate and then passed it on to Harry and Ron.  
  
"You haven't seen a great big black dog anywhere, have you?" Ron asked, clearly not buying what McGonagall had told them.  
  
"Yes," Harry said, "I have, the night I left the Dursleys'." Ron's fork dropped into his stew.  
  
"Probably a stray," Buffy said and Hermione nodded.  
  
"Girls, if Harry has seen a Grim, that's-that's it." Ron started, "My uncle Bilius saw one and -and he died twenty-four hours later."  
  
"Coincidence," Hermione told him, airily as she poured more pumpkin juice, while Buffy looked on in disgust.  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron said, getting angry, "Grim's scare the living daylights out of wizards."  
  
"There you go," Buffy, said, "They all died of fright and Harry isn't stupid enough to believe in them." Ron looked at Hermione and Buffy, realizing that he was not going to win that argument and searched for a way to win the argument.  
  
"You are just mad that Professor Trelawney told you that you don't have to right aura for it and that you are bad at something." He told Hermione, who picked up her Arithmancy book and began to leave, calling over her shoulder.  
  
"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens, I will stick with my Arithmancy." She stalked off and Buffy got up and followed, leaving the boys confused.  
  
"What just happened?" Harry asked and Ron shrugged.  
  
"That is a question we, guys, will constantly ask ourselves." Oliver told them, getting up and following Buffy out the door.  
  
"Buffy!" Oliver called, Buffy stopped and waited for him to catch up. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned for her.  
  
"Ya," she said, looking for Hermione, "I'm just concerned about Hermione."  
  
"She'll be okay," he told her, as they began to walk towards where Anlon was, who was looking excited to see them.  
  
"I know, it's just I know how it feels to have someone gang up on you and stuff." She told, thinking back to how the group reacted to finding out that Angel was a vampire. Oliver nodded and changed the subject, realizing that she was going to start brooding any second.  
  
"So, have you given any thought to joining the team?"  
  
"Sure," she told him, "Hey Anlon. How are you doing?" she asked, petting the big griffon.  
  
"Good. And you?"  
  
"Good." She said, but Oliver shook his head, so Anlon knew that he would talk to the boy later, to see if there was anything that he could do. Buffy looked around and saw that her class was heading down to Hagrid's house for the next lesson. "I have to go to my next class." She said, hugging Oliver briefly and then taking off.  
  
"What is wrong?"  
  
"She misses her home and her friends, but she won't admit it." Oliver told Anlon and then started to walk away. "I have to get to my next class too! Bye Anlon!"  
  
"Maybe there is something that I can do?" he said to himself and went to find Giles.  
  
Hagrid's House  
  
"Hey Harry, Ron, and Hermione."  
  
"Hey Buffy."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi." Hermione said, quietly, like she was unwilling to draw attention to herself. Buffy leaned over to Harry and whispered,  
  
"Not talking?"  
  
"No. C'mon we need to get there, Hagrid will be worried." As they reached Hagrid's hut, he walked out and motioned for everyone to follow him. He led them towards the Forbidden Forest and padlocked area. Everyone gathered around the fence and Hagrid looked at everyone.  
  
"The first thing that you need to do, is open your books to page.."  
  
"How?" Malfoy asked, rudely interrupting Hagrid. Hagrid looked at him in confusion and Buffy realized that none of the other students had been able to open their books, leaning over to Harry she whispered to him how to open the book and then to Hermione, each Gryffindor telling another Gryffindor until they all could open their books.  
  
"Weren't any of you able to open your books?" Hagrid asked and all of the Gryffindors' raised their hands, Hagrid sighed in relief and then turned his attention to the Slytherins. "Perhaps a Gryffindor would be wiling to tell you how to open them." Hermione raised her hand, "Yes, Ms. Granger?"  
  
"You have to stroke the binding." She said and took her book out, showing the Slytherins what to do.  
  
"Oh, how silly of me not to think of it." Malfoy said, snarling at Hermione.  
  
"Yes, very silly." Buffy told him, "Because we "simple" Gryffindors got it and you didn't, so why don't you sit back and shut up and listen for once?" she asked and turned her attention back to the padlock, where Hagrid was leading a group of creatures, who had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of an eagle. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each beast had a collar around it, along with a rope attached to it, which Hagrid held.  
  
"Hippogriffs," Hagrid told the group happily, urging the hippogriffs into the padlocks. Everyone in the class stepped back, except for Buffy, who the hippogriffs had just noticed and all of them were headed towards her. "Now, hippogriffs are easily offended, so don't offend one, because it might be the last thing you do. Always wait for the hippogriff to make the first move," Hagrid told them, but all of them were moving towards Buffy, which Hagrid had just noticed. "What the? Buffy would you like to step in?" he asked and Buffy vaulted over the cage, causing all the hippogriffs to rush her. Hagrid pulled on their collars, until he realized that they all wanted Buffy to pet her. When the class saw how the hippogriffs reacted to Buffy, they all wanted to pet one. Buffy climbed onto the back of one and it took off into the air, followed closely by the rest of the pack, when she landed again, the other hippogriffs immediately offered to let her ride them.  
  
"Sorry, guys," she told them, "But I think the rest of the class wants to try." She said and she laughed when the hippogriffs pouted at her. She made her way over to Hagrid and stood by his side, while the rest of the class went to a hippogriff. She looked over at Malfoy, who had Buckbeak, and was petting his beak walking over to him she stood behind Malfoy.  
  
"This is easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Harry to hear him, "I mean if Potter could do it.."  
  
"Then you must have peed your pants working up the courage." Buffy said from behind him, causing Malfoy to jump and Buckbeak to look very angry. "And I wouldn't go through with your plan to insult Buckbeak, here, because he could very easily kill you and I have no urge to save your scrawny butt." She told him and Malfoy flushed in anger. Buckbeak looked at Malfoy in disdain and then walked by him and towards Buffy, again. Malfoy looked at Buffy in anger, because she had caused his plans to fall through.  
  
"Why you little.."  
  
"Didn't we learn anything on the train?" she asked and Hermione laughed, following Buffy out of the padlock.  
  
"That is the end of class." Hagrid yelled and the class made their way back up to the school and into the dining hall.  
  
"Buffy!" Oliver said and then motioned to the empty seat next to him, Buffy nodded and sat next to him. "So, I was wondering if you would go to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday." Every single person at the Gryffindor table stared at the tiny blonde who had won Oliver's heart, whether she knew it or not.  
  
"Sure, but I'll have to ask dad." she told him, indicating Snape. Oliver sighed in relief and the Weasley twins looked about ready to tease him about it, but his look cut them off.  
  
"Hi, I'm Fred, he's George," Fred said, introducing themselves.  
  
"Any relation to Ron?"  
  
"We are his older brothers," they told her. So dinner went on, each person trying to gather as much information from Buffy about herself as possible, trying to find out what type of person she was.  
  
"She is going to be a chaser." Oliver told them and the people on the Quidditch team turned to look her over.  
  
"She's tiny."  
  
"Hey! The last person who said that wound up on his ass." She said and they looked at her with renewed interest. Dinner came to a close and Buffy made her way over to her father.  
  
"Hi dad," she said.  
  
"Hi. How was your day?"  
  
"Good," she told him, "I have a question."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can I go to Hogsmeade with Oliver on Saturday?"  
  
"Well,"  
  
"Please??"  
  
"I guess, but you have to attend my potions class tomorrow morning."  
  
"Deal!" She skipped back over to Oliver. "I can go!" she told them and everyone looked at her.  
  
"I thought you had to ask your father." The Weasley twins asked in confusion.  
  
"I did."  
  
"But you talked to Professor Snape."  
  
"Yes, my dad." she said, with growing impatience. "Do you have a problem with that?"  
  
"Nope." They said together, wondering how Snape had had a child that was so delightful and well, cute. "Good night."  
  
"Good night." She told them and headed off to find Giles.  
  
"Hey watcher." She said, sneaking up on him. "I'm gonna skip out on patrol tonight, because Dad wants me to go to his class tomorrow morning." Giles nodded and went back to his book, "Good night Giles."  
  
"Good night, Buffy." 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Notes: I realize that I placed them as older in the book, I apologize to all those I have offended. I want to thank my Kati for reading these and apologize for getting you addicted to them.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Buffy entered the classroom with her father and took a seat towards the back of the classroom.  
  
"Remind me again why I have to be here?" she asked, looking at her father.  
  
"So that you can go to Hogsmeade this weekend with Oliver." He told her, before she could say anything else; the class began to file in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat around Buffy.  
  
"I didn't think that you were in this class." Hermione said, looking at Buffy.  
  
"I'm not, but my father wanted me to come and watch this morning, so that I can go to Hogsmeade with Oliver this weekend." Buffy told them and then turned her attention to Snape as the bell rang. About five minutes into the lesson Malfoy came swaggering in.  
  
"I'm sorry I'm late, Professor."  
  
"Detention, for a week, served with Mr. Giles." Snape told him, without looking up from the board. Every single student was shocked, except those that had been in the compartment with Buffy. Malfoy was forced to share a table with Buffy and Hermione; he glared at Buffy as he took his seat.  
  
"This is your fault."  
  
"Oh?" she asked, "How do you figure?"  
  
"You just had to go and tattle to your daddy."  
  
"But isn't that what you do?" she asked, before getting up and going to sit with Neville, Hermione laughed softly and Malfoy glared at her.  
  
"What are you laughing at, Mudblood?" he asked and he soon found himself on the ground with Buffy standing over him. Every single student turned and looked at what was happening.  
  
"Settle down, settle down." Snape said, "Buffy would you mind letting Mr. Malfoy up?"  
  
"Yes, father I would."  
  
"Buffy Anne Snape, do I have to tell Mr. Giles?" he asked and Buffy, reluctantly, let Malfoy up.  
  
"You're scared of a teachers' assistant?" Malfoy asked, a bit shocked.  
  
"No," she told him, "But you will see why I don't want him to tell Giles later tonight." She told him, thinking of all the torture that Malfoy would be going through. "Wear something that you can move in and no robes." Buffy walked back over to Neville and started talking to him, distracting him from Snape's scariness.  
  
"Well, let's see your potion, Longbottom," Snape said, as he made his way to Neville's table, and looked into the cauldron, the potion was bright neon green, like it was supposed to be. "Longbottom, good job." He said, shocking everyone in the room once again. "And, Buffy, don't help him next time." he warned and then winked at his daughter. He wasn't nearly as scary as he let everyone think.  
  
"Thank you, Buffy." Neville said as they walked out of the potions class and out to lunch.  
  
"No problem, although I didn't do anything." She told him, "All's I did was distract you from my dad." They entered the great hall and Buffy immediately took the seat next to Oliver.  
  
"All done." She told him and he looked at her in confusion. "I went to Potions this morning, which means that I can go with you to Hogsmeade." She told him and he smiled as he finally got it.  
  
"As if there was any doubt."  
  
"Yes, well I do have a tendency to sleep later than you guys." She said, as she grabbed some of the chicken that was being passed around.  
  
"Well, that is understandable." He told her, "Not everyone has your" he trailed off, at a loss at what to say, without alerting everyone to her being the slayer.  
  
"My night job?" she asked, supplying him with an adequate description. "One girl in all the world with that night job."  
  
"So, did you hear that Sirus Black was spotted?" Seamus Finnigan asked, looking around the table, but most especially at Harry.  
  
"Where?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, he was spotted by some muggle woman, who just thought he was some common criminal and she called the hot line, but by the time the ministry got there he was already gone."  
  
"Not to far from here." Ron stated and everyone nodded, looking at Harry.  
  
"He wouldn't be stupid enough to come here." Buffy told him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Well, I would want revenge had it been my family." An unexpected, and unwanted guest said from behind them.  
  
"What do you want Malfoy? I am trying to eat, but if you want your ass kicked after I'm done, I would be more than willing." She told him as she turned to face him.  
  
"Actually I came apologize." He muttered, low enough for only Buffy and Oliver to be able to hear.  
  
"Fine your did, you can leave, but don't think that it is getting you out of detention tonight."  
  
"What did you mean revenge?" Harry asked, before Draco could leave.  
  
"What?" Draco asked smirking, "No one told you?"  
  
"Would you just tell him, before I beat it out of you?" Buffy asked, not wanting to listen to the little prick anymore.  
  
"He killed your family or rather betrayed them." he said and walked off, leaving a very confused Harry behind. Before he could go after him though, the bell rang again and they were off to DADA.  
  
"See you at dinner?" Buffy asked, before she left.  
  
"Ya, I'll save you a seat by me." He told her and then watched as she walked out of the great hall, before the Weasley twins pulled him away.  
  
"Oliver is in love." They said in a sing-songy voice, all the way to their next class.  
  
DADA  
  
Professor Lupin was nowhere to be found when they entered the room, so everyone took their seats and waited for him to arrive. Lupin smiled at the class and put his briefcase on the desk, before he looked up.  
  
"You will just need your wands today." He told them, "Today's class is a practicum and if you would get up and follow me?" Everyone stood and shrugged, following him out of the room. They followed him down a deserted corridor and then another, stopping at the staff room. They all filed in and Snape looked up as they entered. Lupin went to close the door, but Snape stopped him.  
  
"Leave it open, I would rather not witness this. In case you haven't heard, Neville Longbottom is in your class." He said and Neville blushed scarlet, "If anything happens to my daughter while she is with you, you will be extremely sorry." Snape told him, low enough for only Lupin to hear. "Buffy, I would like to see you after dinner." He said and then left the room.  
  
"Now then," Lupin said, beckoning the class to an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. Lupin stood next to it and the wardrobe gave a small wobble. "No need to worry," he told them, "It is just a boggart. Now, who can tell me what a boggart is?"  
  
"It is a shape-shifter," Hermione told him, "It will take the shape of whatever it thinks will scare us the most."  
  
"Very good, Hermione." Lupin said, "When I let the boggart out it will try to take the shape of whatever each of us fears, this means that we have a huge advantage over it. Do you know what that is, Harry?"  
  
"Eh-there are so many of us that he won't know what to shift into?" Harry answered and was relieved to find that it was the correct answer.  
  
"Very good, now the charm that repels the boggart is very simple, but requires force of mind. It is a laughter spell, riddikulus." He told them, "Now we will practice saying it, before we let the boggart out."  
  
"Riddikulus." Everyone cried together.  
  
"Very good, Now Neville, what is the one thing that you would say frightens you the most?" He asked and Neville answered, but not loud enough for anyone to hear. "I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that."  
  
"Snape." Neville muttered and received a few chuckles from the class.  
  
"Interesting choice, now Neville I believe that you live with your grandmother?"  
  
"Yes, but I don't want her here either."  
  
"No, no, no. You misunderstand me I want you to picture Professor Snape in whatever your grandmother wears and when the boggart comes out of the closet you will think of this and raise your wand and say riddikulus." Lupin told him. "Now, I want everyone to think of their worst fear and then to think of it in a comical situation." He waited a moment and Buffy could swear she heard Ron muttering,  
  
"Take its legs off." She looked questioningly at Harry, who leaned over and whispered to her.  
  
"He's afraid of spiders." He said and Buffy nodded, finally understanding the boys fear.  
  
"Alright, Neville you are up." Lupin said and Neville stood nervously in front of the wardrobe waiting for it to pop open. "On the count of three: One, two, three, now Neville." Lupin opened the door and there was a pop and out stepped Snape.  
  
"Riddikulus." Neville stuttered out and it hit the boggart and soon it was dressed in an old lady's clothing causing the class to laugh and the boggart to look confused.  
  
"Parvarti." Lupin said and she stepped forward, there was another pop and the boggart turned into a mummy.  
  
"Riddikulus." She cried and it began to unravel until it fell face forward and it's head fell off.  
  
"Seamus." Who stepped forward, immediately causing the boggart to change into banshee.  
  
"Riddikulus." He cried and the banshee clutched its throat and looked confused.  
  
"Excellent. Buffy." Buffy stepped forward the boggart took on the form of Angel.  
  
"Buffy, why?" It said, stalking forward towards Buffy, who stood frozen in fear. Everyone in the room watched as the boggart shifted into a vampire, as it pulled out the sword that was imbedded in it's stomach and was about to stab her, when Lupin stepped forward,  
  
"Riddikulus." He said and pushed Buffy behind him, gearing up for the fight that would come with Snape. "Neville, finish him off."  
  
"Riddikulus." Neville cried and Snape was once again wearing the old woman's clothing before popping into nothing.  
  
"That is all, five points for all the Gryffindors to face the boggart and Harry and Hermione for answering my questions. Please read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me, to be passed in on Monday. That is all, Buffy could I talk to you?" he asked and waited for the rest of the room to leave. "Would you like to talk about it?" Buffy shook her head and turned to leave, tears glistening in her eyes.  
  
"I know that it is Angelus, the Scourge of Europe." He said, "What I don't understand is why a slayer would get upset about him." He waited for her to continue, but she started to cry and ran from the room and down the corridor and into her father's classroom.  
  
"Everyone out." Snape said, but everyone lingered and wanted to know what was going on. "Now!" he roared and he quickly went over to his daughter and gathered her into his arms.  
  
"Would you like to tell me what happened?"  
  
"We were in the class and there was a boggart and it changed into Angel." She told him, crying even harder, "And he blames me daddy."  
  
"Shh, no he doesn't." Snape said, although he had no idea what Angel supposedly blamed her for. Buffy slowly began to calm down.  
  
"Sorry about getting your robe all wet."  
  
"It's okay, it will dry." He told her. "Now do you want to tell me about it?"  
  
"No." she said and then looked at him. "What time is it?"  
  
"I have no idea," Snape answered, "But it is time for dinner." He told her and laughed when she took off running. She reached the Great Hall and looked for where Oliver was sitting.  
  
"Buffy!" he yelled, from the head of the table and motioned for her to take the seat next to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, taking in the tear streaks and what he had heard from Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  
  
"Fine." She told him and started to grab food, knowing that Giles was going to put her through a rigorous training that night, which Draco would have to go through too. Oliver eyed her doubtfully, but sighed knowing that she would only tell him if she felt like telling him. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Notes: I realize that I placed them as older in the book, I apologize to all those I have offended. I want to thank my Kati for reading these and apologize for getting you addicted to them.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Draco made his way to Giles' room, with dread filling his every step, because he could hear sounds coming from the room that did not sound pleasant at all.  
  
"Very good, Buffy," he heard, "Now I want you to stand on your head and try deflecting the blow." Draco looked startled; there was no bloody way that he was going to stand on his head. "Very good."  
  
"He's here."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Standing out in the hallway." She told him and Giles went to open the door, Draco looked startled.  
  
"How the bloody hell did you know that I was out there?"  
  
"Now that would be telling." She said with a smirk, "Nice clothes," she said, taking in the shorts and t-shirt that he was wearing, "Although you could do with a tan, you even look like Spike." Giles and Buffy laughed, which made Draco look at them in confusion. He shrugged, thinking that they had both lost their minds, not that he already hadn't known that.  
  
"Alright," Giles said as he got control over himself, "I want you to warm up," Draco looked at him in confusion and Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
"Alright, albino boy, you are going to stretch like this." She showed him each one of her stretches.  
  
"Good, now I want you to take a run around Hogwart's with Buffy." Giles said and Draco looked extremely confused, this was his detention, he couldn't understand why he would be hurting tomorrow.  
  
"Come on, albino boy, let's go." Buffy led them out into the night of Hogwart's she took off on a jog, so that he could keep up, when she felt a familiar tingle. Motioning for him to stop, she pulled out a stake and simply waited.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" he asked in confusion.  
  
"Look, it's lunch." A vampire said, walking out from the forbidden forest, "and desert." The vamp said looking at Buffy, who rolled her eyes.  
  
"Now, I am a young girl, out and about, who knows what you are and I'm not running away. Now what does that tell you?"  
  
"Slayer." One of them hissed and Draco looked at them in shock.  
  
"Very good, give that vamp a cigar." She said, throwing her stake into the nearest vampire's heart and Draco jumped when it turned into dust.  
  
"Get them." The lead vampire ordered and the two other vampires moved in for attack. While Buffy fought the other two, the leader was making its way towards Draco.  
  
"Well, at least I still get dinner." He said, stepping close so he could grab Draco, who decked him and scrambled back, trying to get away.  
  
"Hey, fang face." Buffy yelled, "It's your turn to go to hell." She threw her stake and he exploded in dust. Buffy dusted herself off, "They just ruin so many damned clothes," she muttered to herself. "Alright let's get back to the running." Draco stared at her in shock; she wanted to continue after that had happened? No bloody way! But before he could voice his opinion a griffin dropped out of the sky.  
  
"Bloody Hell." Draco said in amazement at the griffin.  
  
"Look it's a mini-Spike." A voice said, as it slid off the back of the griffin.  
  
"Anlon, what did you do?"  
  
"I did not want you to be sad anymore, so I went and got your friends." Anlon replied, as Xander helped Willow and Oz off, Willow immediately took off and launched herself at Buffy.  
  
"We have been so worried." Willow said, "Where have you been? No, scratch that, why haven't you come back to Sunnydale?" she asked, hurt marring her voice, "We have missed you."  
  
"I'd hate to interrupt the reunion, but who are you people?" Draco asked and everyone whirled around to face him.  
  
"Come on, let's go inside. Anlon, we are talking later." She told him firmly and led them back into the training room.  
  
"Hey G-man." Xander said as they entered the room.  
  
"Xander, I have asked you repeatedly not to call me that." Giles said and then looked up in shock. "What are you guys doing here?"  
  
"Anlon brought them." Buffy said. "I'm going to take them to the Gryffindor common room to talk, why don't you continue training with Draco?"  
  
"Perhaps you should go and see Dumbledore first?" Giles suggested and Buffy nodded and led Xander, Willow, and Oz out of the room, Anlon followed at a distance.  
  
"Who are they?" Draco asked, looking for anything that would hurt Buffy.  
  
"No one," Giles said, "Now I want you to do this," He said, indicating the weight lifting system.  
  
Dumbledore's Office  
  
Buffy led Willow, Oz, and Xander into Dumbledore's office, where they were immediately taken with Fawkes.  
  
"He's a phoenix, I have one also." She told them.  
  
"Ahh, I see Anlon managed to get your friends here." Dumbledore said, "I hope that you had a safe trip."  
  
"You knew?" Buffy asked, looking at the headmaster, "Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Because Anlon wanted to surprise you and I were quite willing to allow them to visit, although if they would like to stay on permanently as a students they are more than able." Dumbledore said and they looked at him in shock, "I mean how often do we get a Wiccan, a werewolf, and another young wizard, who doesn't know it, but who is also part fish?" Everyone stared at him; he knew practically everything about them.  
  
"How did you know?" Willow asked, curious about the headmaster.  
  
"The magic in you is different and I can feel it." He said and then looked at Oz, "You should speak with Professor Lupin. If you would like time to think it over you can attend classes with Buffy." He told them, "And you can stay in her room, although Oz and Xander will have to go to the Gryffindor Male Dormitory."  
  
Buffy led the group out and then took Oz and Xander to the Gryffindor Male Dormitory and showed them how to get in and stuff.  
  
"Alright, my first class is Care of Magical Creatures, it isn't until after lunch, so you can meet me then." She told them. "Or you can come pound on my door and wake us up and we can talk, either way." Willow and Buffy turned and left, going to Buffy's room.  
  
"Young lady, where have you been?" Snape asked, when he noticed a red headed young girl behind her. "And who is she?"  
  
"I have been talking to Dumbledore and this is Willow Rosenberg." Buffy told him, "Xander and Oz are here too, they will be going to my classes with me and then they will decide whether to stay or not."  
  
"And how did they get here?" Snape asked, interrogating her.  
  
"Anlon brought us, Mister whoever you are, so back off. Who are you anyways?" Willow asked, stepping in for her friend.  
  
"Willow, this is my dad, Professor Serverus Snape," Buffy said, "Dad, this is Willow, from Sunnydale." Willow looked shocked; Hank was her father, wasn't he?  
  
"But Hank?"  
  
"Is not my dad."  
  
"Oh." Willow said simply and then sat down, "I'm going to sit down."  
  
"You are sitting." Snape said in confusion.  
  
"Good for me." She replied and Snape looked at Buffy, who just shrugged.  
  
"Good night Buffy, but we will talk."  
  
"Night dad."  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Ya, Willow?"  
  
"I have a question."  
  
"What?"  
  
"IF griffins only protect things, why is he protecting you?"  
  
"I'm the Key."  
  
"The what?" 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Notes: I realize that I placed them as older in the book, I apologize to all those I have offended. I want to thank my Kati for reading these and apologize for getting you addicted to them.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"Buffy! Willow!" they heard muffled voices coming from outside of the door.  
  
"What?" Buffy groaned, realizing that it was probably earlier than when she would normally get up.  
  
"We were up and we want to talk."  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming." She muttered as she stumbled out of the bed and made it to the door and then threw it open glaring at the wide-awake boy. "We?" she questioned eyeing Oz who looked very much still asleep.  
  
"We wanna crash in your room." Xander said as Oz and him entered the room, "The kids were getting up and it was scary they kept asking us questions." Oz walked over to where Willow was sleeping on a bed that Snape had made appear in Buffy's room and climbed into it with her and fell back asleep.  
  
"You can sleep on the floor." Buffy told Xander, "That is for waking me up." She told him and laughed at his crestfallen face. "Go to bed." Despite Xander's protests that he wouldn't fall asleep, everyone was back to bed within five minutes.  
  
They next awoke in time to get up and get ready for lunch, when they made their way to the Great Hall.  
  
"Buffy!" Oliver said, waving his arm and motioning for her to sit next to him.  
  
"Hey," she said, "Could you guys schooch down so my friends' could sit too?" she asked and everyone moved down three seats so that Buffy's friends could sit next to them. "Alright this is Xander, Willow, and Oz." She introduced. "And this is Oliver, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and George and Fred. Xander you will love them."  
  
"Who?" Fred asked innocently.  
  
"Us?" George asked innocently.  
  
"Don't play innocent with me, I know better." She told them and they blushed, "Besides Xander is a prankster also."  
  
"Really?" They exclaimed, taking a sudden interest in Xander, striking up a conversation.  
  
"Hermione is a book worm, like our Willow here, you should compare notes." She said and Willow and Hermione eyed each other, while Oz was content to simply eat food and be with Willow.  
  
"We need to go." Buffy said getting up, "I have to get to class."  
  
"But it doesn't start for another twenty minutes." Ron said confused as to why Buffy was going early.  
  
"I told Hagrid that I would help him beforehand, bye!" she called over her shoulder, as they made their way to Hagrids' hut.  
  
"Hey Hagrid!" she called out and the half-giant stepped outside.  
  
"Hey Buffy." He replied. "Who are you friends?"  
  
"This is Oz, Willow, and Xander they are staying for class." She told him, "Let's go get the unicorns." She said and they looked startled, unicorns? Buffy walked to the end of the forest and simply waited, when Xander was about to ask what she was doing a herd of unicorns exited the forest.  
  
"Hey guys." Buffy said softly, as the unicorns made there way to her, each wanting to be petted. "Is it okay for Hagrid to borrow you for his class?" she asked and the unicorns seemed to agree, because they pranced over to Hagrid and nudged him. Buffy led them into the corral and then turned to face her friends.  
  
"One of the perks of being a slayer." She told them, "Is that magical creatures are attracted to me, so it helps Hagrid so that he can get them." Before she could explain more, her classmates started showing up.  
  
"Gather round, Gather round." Hagrid said and everyone faced him. "I'm sure everyone read the homework?" There were various nods and "yes's" issued from the crowd. "Good, then Mr. Malfoy would you care to explain what we read?"  
  
"Uhhhhh." Malfoy looked around, but no one was willing to tell him what they had read. Hermione raised her hand.  
  
"We read about unicorns," she said her voice mocking Malfoy.  
  
"Good job, five points to Gryffindor and away from Slytherin." Hagrid said, "Now, these are unicorns and if you approach them calmly they might allow you to pet them, who would like to try?" Willow raised her hand, excited to be near so many magical things. "Very good, give it a shot, but if she backs away it's okay." Willow entered the coral and she cautiously approached a unicorn, it tipped its head to her and Willow petted the unicorn. The rest of the class was excited to try it and they stepped into the coral. Malfoy attempted to pet on, but it backed away and tried to bit him every time he came near it. Finally giving up, Malfoy stalked out of the coral and up to the school to owl his father. The rest of the class was able to do it and they spent the time talking about the care of unicorns.  
  
When the class had ended, Buffy petted each unicorn and thanked them, before leading them back to the forest where she got them to leave. This set up a routine, Hagrid would have Buffy bring in different magical creatures which the class would learn about, this class was in competition with DADA, where the students would be learning about vampires soon.  
  
After dinner Buffy took them back to her room, where she explained to Oz, Willow, and Xander about her dad and how she came to be there.  
  
"So, I kissed him, told him I loved him and ran him through with a sword," Buffy told them, "Your curse worked Willow, I just wish I had known you were going to try it." Willow looked confused.  
  
"But Xander was supposed to tell you. He promised me he would." Willow said and everyone turned to look at Xander who was looking a bit sheepish.  
  
"I didn't want you to be distracted."  
  
"Liar." Buffy said, her voice shaking with anger and her eyes lined with tears, "You couldn't stand it that I had fallen for a vampire and not you. And you call yourself my friend." Buffy got up and stormed from the room, Anlon on her tail and she ran into Oliver Wood.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"No. I think okay was a couple exits ago." She said, tears finally spilling from her eyes. "I thought I knew him." She began to cry harder and Oliver gathered her close to him, when the door opened.  
  
"It seems like you got over Angel fast." Xander said and Buffy wanted to be anywhere than there, she willed herself to be anywhere than there.  
  
"What the bloody hell?" Oliver asked, a look of astonishment on his face as he looked around. Buffy looked up and gasped; they were in the quidditch pit.  
  
"How did we get here?" she asked, pulling away from Oliver.  
  
"I have no idea, your friend came out of your room and the room kind of disappeared and then we were here." He said. "It was almost like apparting, but you can't do that in Hogwarts."  
  
"I did it." She said, more to herself than to him. "I wanted to be away from him." Oliver looked at her in shock; it wasn't supposed to happen in Hogwarts!  
  
"We need to go talk to Dumbledore." He said, pulling her back towards the school, when suddenly he stopped. In front of them was two dementors, which where making there way towards them at a fast pace. Buffy could hear Angel blaming her and she could feel the sword entering him, grabbing a hold of Oliver she willed them into Dumbledore's office and with a slight "pop" they were there, Dumbledore looked a little startled.  
  
"So glad you could pop in." Dumbeldore said.  
  
"I thought you couldn't Apparate into Hogwarts?" Oliver asked, confused.  
  
"Well you can't. Buffy merely Apparated through Hogwarts, I am uncertain whether or not she could Apparate into or out of Hogwarts. Mr. Wood, could I speak to Buffy alone for a moment?" Oliver left Dumbledore and Buffy alone. "Do you have a question?"  
  
"Yes, how can I Apparate?"  
  
"Well, I would assume it was the magical energy of the key and you have tapped into it." Dumbledore told her, "I do believe that you could be very powerful if you learn to control it." Buffy stood there unsure of what she should say or ask, "If that is all, I believe that Mr. Wood is waiting for you." Buffy walked out and sure enough Oliver was waiting for her.  
  
"Need a friend?"  
  
"Ya." She said and they walked quietly for a moment or two before Oliver looked around frantically.  
  
"What time is it?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, why?"  
  
"We have a quidditch meeting." He said and they took off for Quidditch field locker rooms. They arrived just on time and Oliver began his speech.  
  
"This is our last chance -my last chance -to win the Quidditch cup," he told them, "I will be leaving at the end of this year and I'll never get another shot at it. Gryffindor hasn't won the cup in seven years, despite the fact we have the best ruddy team in the school. We have two chasers who have been at this a long time and one new one that will knock their socks off, we've got two unbeatable beaters."  
  
"Stop it Oliver, your making us blush." Fred and George told him in a mock blush.  
  
"We've got the best seeker," he said and everyone turned to look at Harry, "and me." He said as an after thought.  
  
"You're a great keeper," George said.  
  
"The point is the Quidditch cup should have been ours ever since Harry joined the team and now it is our turn to put our names on the thing." There was a chorus of "we can do it," and "this year is our year," from the group and then the meeting was done. They were to train three times a week, no amount of rain or mud or cold weather would make the team less determined.  
  
Buffy made her way back to her room, hoping that they weren't still there.  
  
"They are still inside." Anlon told her, he had been quite scared when she had Apparated around Hogwarts, how was he supposed to protect her, if she disappeared?  
  
"Thanks," she told him, "I should have known they wouldn't have given up that easily. C'mon, let's go see Dad." they turned away from the door and followed the hallway down to Snape's rooms, where Buffy gave the password and her and Anlon stepped inside.  
  
"Where have you been? Your friends stopped by earlier and said that you just left."  
  
"Sorry, Dad." she said, "But I ran into Oliver and I Apparated us onto the Quidditch field and then there were two dementors so I Apparated us into Dumbledore's office, where he told me that because I'm the key I can do this." She told him, "and I might be powerful enough to Apparate into Hogwarts." Snape looked shocked, that was allot of power and what would she do with it? What would the dark lord do when he found out? Snape shuddered at the thought.  
  
"It's okay, you know I worry."  
  
"I know."  
  
"So, why aren't you in your room?"  
  
"Because they are," she simply put. "Oh! You need to sign my permission slip so I can go to Hogsmeade tomorrow."  
  
"I already passed it in for you." He told her, "Why don't you go and talk to Mr. Giles, he was looking for you earlier."  
  
"Okay." She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I love you dad."  
  
"Love you too." He said and he was overjoyed at the thought. He was so used to being alone, but now he had someone to love and to be loved back by, he had a daughter that might be more powerful then the dark lord. He knew she would chose to fight with the good, because she was the slayer, he just hoped he would survive her teenage years and dating!  
  
Giles' Room  
  
Buffy gave the password to the picture and walked into Giles' room, Anlon followed her, and sat beside Giles scarring him out of his thoughts.  
  
"I say! Good lord! You are worse than Angel." Giles said to Anlon, "Could you make some noise?"  
  
"Were would the surprise be?" he asked in confusion, if he made noise the enemy would hear him and he wouldn't be able to surprise them.  
  
"There wouldn't be that's the point." He said and then turned to Buffy. "How are you doing?" he asked, the trio had come to visit him when Buffy had run off and then Dumbledore had come to visit him to explain about Buffy's ability.  
  
"I'm okay." She said, "I just found out my friend lied to me and doesn't really like me, but other than that I am doing good."  
  
"Buffy," Giles said his voice full of compassion, "Xander was just being Xander."  
  
"An ass."  
  
"Well, yes, I suppose he is." He said, "He was jealous of your love for Angel and when he saw Oliver holding you the jealously flared up. He doesn't understand why you do not like him."  
  
"I like him as a friend, besides he has Cordelia." She said and stared off into space, "Why couldn't he have been happy for me?"  
  
"I suppose in a way he thought that eventually you would turn to him." Giles said, his heart aching, because Buffy was so hurt by this. "I suppose if you don't want to return to your room, you can go to the Gryffindor common room." Giles suggested, not wanting his charge to have to go through anything else that would be painful. Buffy nodded at the suggestion and got up to go.  
  
"Thanks Giles." She gave him a hug and Anlon and her made their way to the Gryffindor tower. "Ferret boy." She said and the door swung open, reveling Oliver, Harry, and Ron in the chairs.  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"Hey." She said, "I'm going to crash here tonight." She told them and the boys looked at each other.  
  
"Uhmm, they in your room?" Oliver asked, motioning for her to sit next to him.  
  
"Ya, so Giles suggested I crash in the common room." She said, "I can get up and go to Potions with them or perhaps another class or maybe Anlon will take me flying." Oliver got up and went to the boy's section, he returned moments later with blankets and pillows, Buffy looked at him in shock.  
  
"What?" he asked a smile adorning his face, "You didn't think I would let you sleep down here by yourself?"  
  
"I have Anlon." She protested, "You really don't have to."  
  
"But I want to." He told her, "I need to talk to you anyways."  
  
"And on that note, we are going to bed." Harry said, dragging Ron behind him.  
  
"I haven't told anyone about what you can do." He told her and Buffy smiled in relief. "But I also wanted to make sure that we were still on for Hogsmeade this Saturday."  
  
"Ya, but you might have to come get me at my room."  
  
"That's okay." He told her, "I would wait all of eternity for you." Buffy blushed at what he said and he smiled. "What? It's true."  
  
"Sorry, it's just the last guy that told me that actually meant it." She said, her thoughts returning to Angel and sending him to Hell. Oliver noticed her thoughts were headed into her past and she was staring to brood, he leaned over and kissed her. Buffy was shocked, but she soon found herself enjoying it and pulled him closer, before pulling away. "Thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Being you." She settled herself comfortably in his embrace and closed her eyes. Oliver smiled and wrapped his arms around her and then pulled a blanket over them and closed his eyes. Both of them fell into a deep sleep, Anlon stood guard over them and when morning came and classes began, the Gryffindor students were quiet when they left and even Percy the Perfect didn't wake them. They let them sleep undisturbed and Fred and George made excuses to Oliver's teachers, while Hermione simply told Snape that Buffy was asleep in the common room. 


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings, but I like to borrow characters for a little while.  
  
Author's Notes: I have moved, so it might take me longer to update, than usual. Sorry. I realize that I placed them as older in the book, I apologize to all those I have offended. I want to thank my Kati for reading these and apologize for getting you addicted to them.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Buffy woke up in Oliver's arms and she turned so that she could see him sleep and smiled at the picture he made. His hair was going in every direction and he looked innocent, Buffy sighed at that, she used to be innocent, unaware of the mortal danger she was in, but now she was the slayer.  
  
"You had to become the slayer." Anlon told her and Buffy looked at him sharply, "Your expression," he explained to her how he knew what she was thinking. "The monks had to make sure the key would be safe and what better safeguard then the key as the slayer?" Buffy nodded, knowing that it did, indeed, make sense to a certain extent she was happy because she had met Oliver, but on the other hand she missed Angel.  
  
"What are you thinking?" Oliver asked, his voice rough with the edge of sleep.  
  
"That I should talk to my friends." She replied, turning around to face him.  
  
"And here I was hoping that you were thinking about me." He told her, smiling when she blushed. "Ah-ha! You were!"  
  
"I plead the fifth." She replied and sighed when he looked confused, "it means that I'm not telling." She looked around and noticed that it was late. "We should probably get up and get ready." Oliver nodded and they made their ways to the different bathrooms. Buffy made some of her clothing appear and then showered and dressed, almost running down Hermione.  
  
"Oh! You're up!" she exclaimed, "And here we thought you guys where going to sleep all day." She teased and Buffy blushed slightly.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"Almost lunch, I wanted to drop some of my books off first."  
  
"Oh! You guys let us sleep through the first classes?"  
  
"Well, you don't have any and it was cute and you looked so peaceful!" Hermione defended and Buffy found herself laughing.  
  
"It's okay, I'm used to skipping school. Hurry up and I'll walk with you." Buffy told her and walked out to see if Oliver was done.  
  
"Hey." He said, taking in her appearance.  
  
"So," she said, "It's lunch time." Oliver looked shocked; he had never slept through his classes, well except for that one time when he was in the hospital, but that wasn't his fault! "It's okay, the guys made excuses to the teachers for you and everything." Oliver looked slightly relieved, although not by much. They waited in silence for Hermione and then made their way to the great hall, where the Gryffindor team stood up and clapped as they entered, both of them turned redder then the Weasley's hair.  
  
Lunch went by quickly, each Gryffindor wanting to know if they were going out and every other single detail about it. When lunch was finally over, Oliver and Buffy made their way out of the great hall and out to the quidditch field.  
  
"You are going to have to talk to them sooner or later."  
  
"I know," she told him, sighing, "I just want it to be later. So, what do you want to do?" she asked, hoping that she could change the subject.  
  
"I'm not sure." he replied, letting her change the subject. "We could go flying." He suggested and Buffy jumped at the opportunity, she hadn't been flying with him since he taught her. They raced inside and grabbed their brooms, racing back outside and then taking off into the air.  
  
"Tag," Buffy said, tapping Oliver and then she started to fly off, but he looked at her strangely. "It's a game. We tap each other and yell tag and then we try to get the other person." She explained and Oliver nodded.  
  
"Tag." He replied and taped her, Buffy looked at him in shock, he had known exactly what he was doing! She raced after him and they continued on, Anlon joining in, although he didn't really understand the game, but he was glad to see Buffy smiling.  
  
"BUFFY ANNE SNAPE!" they heard and they all quickly returned to the ground.  
  
"Hey, dad." she said, smiling sheepishly. "What's up?"  
  
"You skipped your classes."  
  
"I know I needed to think things through."  
  
"And chasing some boy around the quidditch field is the way to do it?"  
  
"No, but he was trying to make me happy," she replied. "It doesn't happen often in my life." She told him and Snape felt guilty. "That doesn't excuse you."  
  
"I know I'm sorry dad."  
  
"It's not me you should be apologizing to."  
  
"I'll apologize to my teachers the next time I see them."  
  
"See that you do that." He told her and then kissed her on the cheek and let her have her fun with Oliver and Anlon, playing tag. "It's almost dinner time, don't be late." He warned and then he was gone. They played a couple more quick games and then headed into the great hall, taking seats at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Are these seats taken?" Willow asked, sighing in relief that they had finally caught up with Buffy. Buffy eyed them wearily, but decided they would need to talk eventually and it hadn't been Willow or Oz's fault.  
  
"No," she told them and then motioned for them to sit.  
  
"So," Willow said, trying to break the ice, "we followed Hermione and Harry around today, we are supposed to give our decisions to Dumbledore tonight."  
  
"And?" Buffy asked.  
  
"We wanted to talk to you and make sure that we would be welcome, before we decided." Willow told her and the two boys nodded, although Buffy was still not looking at Xander.  
  
"Buffy," Xander started, "about what I said."  
  
"It doesn't matter." Buffy told him, getting upset. Oliver glared at Xander and put a comforting arm around her, while Snape glared from the head table, before leaning over and asking Giles what was going on. "You never liked him, you made your feelings perfectly clear. What does it matter if he made me happy? It's not like you cared about that." Buffy started to cry and stormed from the great hall, Snape immediately jumped to his feet, closely followed by Giles, and rushed out after her. Willow hit Xander and motioned for Oliver to stay, before following Buffy out. She found Snape and Giles already talking to her.  
  
"He is just young and never thought of anyone but himself." Giles told her, putting one arm around her, while Snape put his arm around her too.  
  
"He's liked you since you moved to Sunnydale and you never returned his feelings." Willow filled in and Buffy looked up at her sharply, while Snape drew her closer, trying to protect her. "Sure he has Cordy, but remember me and Oz? I still have feelings for Xander, but they aren't as prominent as my feelings for Oz. Besides he's male so he doesn't think with the correct head anyways."  
  
"Willow Rosenberg!" Buffy exclaimed in a mock shock, before both girls started laughing.  
  
"I beg your pardon!" Giles and Snape exclaimed, glaring at the two laughing females.  
  
"I don't think we are needed here right now," Snape said and he and Giles returned to the hall, which made Oliver worry more. That wasn't the most shocking thing though; it was Draco Malfoy slipping away from his table and out into the hallway, quickly finding Buffy and Willow.  
  
"Are you okay?" Draco asked, startling the two females, although he held his hands up in a mock surrender.  
  
"Why do you care?" Buffy asked, "You have been mean to me since the day I arrived."  
  
"I know." Draco said, he was unsure why he did care, but he did and that was all that mattered. "Look, I'm sorry and I was wondering if we could start over." Buffy looked over the Slytherin boy and wondered briefly if it was a set up but shrugged it off, she could take him if it was.  
  
"Yes, we can." She told him, "And ya, I'm doing fine now. Although, are you staying or not?" she directed the question to Willow, who looked thoughtful to stay the least.  
  
"You wouldn't happen to be related to the Weasley's would you?" 


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings.  
  
Author's Note: I am still not really at home, so I apologize for late updates and for the bad spelling. Reviews are always wanted and welcome.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
"No," Willow told the boy and then looked back at Buffy, completely ignoring Draco. "Oz and I are staying but Xander is going home." She told Buffy and Buffy looked slightly relived at that statement. "He wanted me to tell you that he was so.."  
  
"Don't." Buffy told her, holding up her hand. "What we need to do though, is go tell Dumbledore, although knowing him, he has already figured out that you guys are staying." Willow shrugged and let it go and then followed Buffy through the maze of the school, until they came before a phoenix, where Dumbledore met them.  
  
"Ah, Ms. Rosenberg, so glad to hear that you will be staying, I have already dispatched a note to your parents, along with permission slips for Hogsmeade. They should be arriving any minute." As Dumbledore said these two owls flew through the window and dropped their bundle into Dumbledore's waiting arms, he opened them and read them quickly. "You are all set to go." He told them and then looked at Buffy, "Could you show them around?" Buffy nodded and he continued, "You may go to Hogsmeade today with Buffy and tomorrow I will have her and Professor Snape take you out to Diagon Alley and then we will sort you."  
  
Willow nodded feeling slightly overwhelmed, while Oz took it all in stride, could you expect different? Buffy led them towards the carriages that were waiting for the students, to take them to Hogsmeade. Oliver, Buffy, Willow, and Oz got into one carriage; while Anlon waited beside the carriage, ready to follow the carriage from the air.  
  
"Does he go everywhere with you?" Willow asked, looking at Anlon curiously.  
  
"Yes, I do." He replied for himself and while Willow didn't look too shocked at him talking she was still pretty shocked.  
  
"Mouth looks better closed, Will." Buffy told her and Willow turned bright red, while Oliver simply laughed, Oz leaned over and whispered in her ear  
  
"I dunno, you look pretty cute doing.." Oz trailed off and Willow turned a brighter shade of red, causing everyone to laugh. They were jolted when the carriage began to move, they watched as Anlon took off into the air.  
  
"What's it like being a wizard?" Willow asked, changing the subject, Oliver simply stared at her, because he had never known anything else. "How long have you been a wizard?"  
  
"Since I was a baby." He stated, since he had met Buffy he realized that not every wizard was found at birth. "How long have you done magic?"  
  
"Just since I tried to curse Angel.." Willow trailed off, looking at Buffy anxiously, because she wasn't sure if she should mention Angel at all.  
  
"You cursed someone?" he asked, shocked.  
  
"Well, with a soul." She told him, "Or at least I tried to."  
  
"Why would you need to curse someone with a soul?" he questioned, unaware that Angel was a vampire.  
  
"Because he was a vampire." Buffy filled in for Willow, who was trying to look at anything but her.  
  
"Was?"  
  
"Yes, he's in hell."  
  
"Did you kill him?"  
  
"Yes." She told him and then looked out the window. Oliver looked slightly confused and looked to Oz and Willow for help, both of whom where trying not to make eye contact with him and not succeeding.  
  
"So, what should we expect at Hogsmeade?" Willow asked, Oliver realized what she was doing, but decided to let it go. He launched into a big speech about what was at Hogsmeade and everything else, until they arrived there. By the time he was done, Willow practically ran out of the carriage to go and see the fun things he had described.  
  
"Wait until the carriage stops, Will." Buffy teased and the red head stuck her tongue out, but waited until the carriage stopped.  
  
"Who are you?" They heard as they got out of the carriage, Buffy and Oliver looked up at the voice.  
  
"Hey guys." Buffy said, "These are my friends, Oz and Willow, they are going to be going to school here." She told them "This is Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley.."  
  
"That's why he asked if I was related to you!" Willow exclaimed, taking a good look at Ron. "My hair is darker. Men! Can't tell the difference." She teased and Ron turned as bright as his hair.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you all." Willow said.  
  
"Hi." Oz said, giving his normal monosyllabic sentences.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Oliver asked, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.  
  
"He had to stay behind, because his uncle and aunt wouldn't sign his permission slip, because.." Hermione trailed off, but Buffy finished it for her.  
  
"They're anal?" she questioned and the group shared a laugh. Oliver caught Ron and Hermione's eye, motioning for them to led Oz and Willow away so he could spend alone time with Buffy.  
  
"Hey, man, are you okay?" Ron asked and Hermione hit him. "What?"  
  
"You are so dense." She told him and then turned to face Willow and Oz.  
  
"Willow? Oz? Would you like to go with us?" she offered. Willow and Oz looked at them and shrugged, deciding to go along with it, Buffy had all the protection that she could get, because Anlon was trying to look inconspicuous in the background.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Alright." Buffy said and then looked at them. "Meet us back at the Three Broomsticks in like an hour or so." Willow and Oz nodded, before following the terrible trio out into the streets.  
  
Oliver looked at Buffy, who was looking around Hogsmeade, seemingly oblivious to everything that had just happened. He began to lead her to the candy store, he promised that he wouldn't let her try anything that would hop in her stomach or that he himself wouldn't eat.  
  
Buffy looked around Hogsmeade trying to pinpoint the location of the feeling she was getting. She could feel something that wasn't human, but wasn't evil, more like it was scared or afraid to show itself, but the only thing that she could see was a big black dog. She looked at it intently and she could have sworn that the dog winked at her! She shook her head and followed Oliver to the candy store, while every now and then peering over her shoulder to see if the dog was still there.  
  
Buffy spotted the dog throughout the entire day and it distracted her from Oliver.  
  
"We can leave." Oliver suggested, as they approached the Shrieking Shack.  
  
"No, no." she told him, "it's just I keep seeing this dog and I swear that it is human." Oliver looked at her, once again reminded that no matter how much power she might have, she was still new to the wizarding world.  
  
"Well, humans can shift into animals." He told her and watched as she looked intently for the dog that had been following her, her eyes settled on the shack, she started towards it, but he held her back.  
  
"What?" she questioned, "you just told me that someone has been following me around all day, I want to know why."  
  
"How do you know he or she is in there?" he asked, clearly not wanting to enter the shack any time in the near future.  
  
"Because I can feel him."  
  
"Him?"  
  
"Well, everyone feels a bit different to me, but they have an aspect that always feels the same, gender. I can generally tell what demon or something is there, because I can feel it. But here everything is so new and my senses are going hay wire." She told him and Oliver nodded, not really understanding what she had said, but sort of getting the gist of it all. She started off towards the shack again, Anlon landing next to her and walking beside them.  
  
"Sorry big guy," she said, petting him, "I don't think you are going to fit inside the door. How about you keep watch and don't let a big black dog out?" Anlon nodded, not liking Buffy going in there, but there was nothing that he could do.  
  
Buffy and Oliver stepped cautiously into the building.  
  
"Hello?" she called out and Oliver put his hand over her mouth.  
  
"What are you doing?" he hissed in her ear, she glared at him until he let her go.  
  
"Well I'm not real subtle and I can feel him in here, so I thought I would try the direct approach." She told him. "There isn't much that I can't face, so unless it is Lupin all werewolfy and stuff then we should be all set. Although I have gotten the best of Oz when he goes all wolfy on us." She said, leading them further into the building.  
  
"You may as well come out, I can feel you." She said, waiting all of five seconds, before walking over to the closet and opening it. Inside was the dog that had been following them all day. "K. Morph back or whatever into human shape." She told the dog, who just cocked it's head to the side and looked at her thoughtfully. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." She offered and she began to reach out to the dog's mind, forming a picture of the dog-reverting back to human shape.  
  
Oliver gasped when the dog suddenly shifted into a naked man!  
  
"How did you do that?" the man questioned, dazed that someone could force him to morph.  
  
"I have no idea," she told him truthfully, but before he could ask any more questions she cut him off, "Who are you?" she asked, looking at him, she blushed when she realized that he was naked. She conjured robes for him and turned around while he dressed. "Well?" she asked, impatiently, tapping her foot, she studied him some more and then it clicked! "You're Sirus Black!" she said and Oliver reached for his wand, while Black tried to shift back, but was stopped by Buffy.  
  
Buffy stepped between the two guys and motioned for Oliver to go to the other room.  
  
"I'm not leaving you alone with him!" he told her. "I'm not moving one.." Buffy motioned for Black to follow her into the other room, "inch."  
  
"How do you know you can trust me?" he asked.  
  
"I can feel it." She told him, "You feel differently then most of the wizards I've met, your somewhat like Lupin, except the feeling is more controlled and less wild, I guess that would be because of he's a werewolf."  
  
"What do you mean that you can feel me?" he asked and Buffy sighed.  
  
"alright, I'll answer, but then you have to." She told him and he nodded his agreement. "Well, I'm the slayer." He gasped.  
  
"But the slayer is just a myth!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Ya, well that would have saved me allot of trouble." She told him and then continued, "But Serverus Snape is my real father, and so that makes me part witch or whatever."  
  
"Snape is your father?" he asked, clearly unable to believe that Snape could father such a beautiful child.  
  
"Yes, well mom raised me and I took after her."  
  
"I think a thank God would be in order." He told her and Buffy laughed, when Oliver suddenly stepped into the room.  
  
"Are you going to play nice?" Buffy asked and Oliver nodded, "Good. Well as I was saying. As far as Dumbledore can figure, because I am the slayer the magic that was in me and the magic that makes me the slayer merged and I able to do things that I shouldn't be able to."  
  
"Like what?" he asked, curious about the girl that was supposed to be a myth.  
  
"I can apparate around Hogwarts. We aren't sure if I can apparent into Hogwart's and he didn't want me to try, but I can go anywhere I want. As you can tell, I have some degree of control over other people."  
  
"Is that how you made me shift?"  
  
"I think so. He told me because I am basically a predator I have more "basic/primal" skills." She told them in her stuffy British accent, "Whatever that means. So, enough about me and more about you." Black shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. "C'mon, I already know that you are Sirus Black escaped prisoner.. yada yada ya. What I want to know is why you've been following me around all day."  
  
"Because you smell like Harry." He explained, "I thought you might be meeting him or something. I am Harry's godfather."  
  
"Nope, Harry couldn't come, because of his aunt and uncle. And I smell like him, because I hang out with him. Did I mention that the whole smelling thing is gross?" she asked, "Vampires do it, Angel tracked me once.." she trailed off as she realized what she was saying. Black looked at Oliver who just shrugged, because he wasn't sure what was going on either.  
  
"Buffy? Oliver?" they heard from outside the house, Buffy quickly looked around, trying to figure out what time it was.  
  
"I think we are late." She told Oliver and then looked at Black, "Are you staying here?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Alright, I'll be back later so we can talk and I'll get you some food." She told him and he nodded.  
  
"How are you going to get outside, without them knowing that you came out from here?" he asked and Buffy winked at him, before grabbing Oliver's hand and apparenting them outside, behind the group.  
  
"There you guys are!" Buffy said, pretending that they had been searching for them. "C'mon I'm starved." She winked at Black one more time, before turning to leave.  
  
"Hard to believe that that is Snape's child isn't?" Lupin said from behind Black.  
  
"Very." Black replied. "You do realize that she knew you were here the entire time right?"  
  
"Yes, but we have an understanding." Was the only reply. 


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings.  
  
Author's Note: I am still not really at home, so I apologize for late updates and for the bad spelling. Reviews are always wanted and welcome.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Buffy crept of her room and into the night, but considering that her room had a door leading out into the forest it wasn't that hard to do. No the hardest part was not tripping on Willow and Oz as she snuck out of the room, although she was pretty sure that Oz had woken up, but had just assumed that she was going to patrol the forbidden forest.  
  
"Anlon." Buffy called out softly and smiled when he landed next to her, "Did you get everything that I had asked for?" Anlon nodded and showed her the pouch of food that the house elves had provided for her. "Let's go then." She climbed up onto his back and he took off into the air, landing in front of the Shrieking Shack.  
  
"I think that you are faster than the carriages." She told him as she got off his back.  
  
"Probably."  
  
"I know you don't like me going in there alone, but you know you can't fit in there, so I need you to watch my back." She told him, before turning around and entering the house.  
  
"You're late." Black said stepping into the light as Buffy entered.  
  
"I am not." She told him, "I am right on time."  
  
"Nope you are late."  
  
"You try patrolling and then leaving and see what time you get out." She told him playfully and then handed him the food. "Here you go, I have no idea what you have been eating, but this has got to be better."  
  
"You're right it is." Black told her, "And trust me you don't want to know what I have been eating." She watched as he dug into the food and simply waited until he was done before she started her interrogation.  
  
"Why are you looking for Harry?" she asked and he eyed her warily.  
  
"I'm his godfather."  
  
"But weren't you charged with his parent's murder?"  
  
"Yes." He told her, "I was their secret keeper, but at the last minute I had decided to change with Peter Pentergrew, because I knew that Voldermort was getting close to me. But he betrayed them. What I hadn't known was that he was working with Voldermort and sold the Potter's out." He told her, shame entering his voice.  
  
"It's not your fault." She told him, immediately thinking of Angel.  
  
"If I hadn't switched.."  
  
"Voldermort would have gotten you too and Harry would have no one." She told him, "I have learned that no matter what choices we make there will always be consequence we will not like."  
  
"That is pretty pessimistic." He told her, wondering what she had been put through.  
  
"That's life. You live, you fight, and you die.. most of the time." She said remembering the Master.  
  
"Most of the time?"  
  
"Ya, big bad a year ago. There was a prophecy predicting my death and sure enough I died, but my friend brought me back and I kicked ass."  
  
"You've died?"  
  
"Only for a couple of minutes." She said defensively, "Although apparently it was long enough to call the next slayer."  
  
"I thought there was only one at a time."  
  
"There was, but I never could follow the rules, just as Giles."  
  
"Rupert Giles?"  
  
"Ya, you know him?" she asked.  
  
"Yes." Black said, "And how he became a watcher I will never know."  
  
"Hey! He's a pretty good watcher. And okay he's a bit stuffy, but he knows what he's doing, most of the time."  
  
"Stuffy? Ripper?"  
  
"Ya, well he is know." She told him, "I don't think that man owns anything but tweed."  
  
"Buffy." She heard Anlon call, "It will be morning soon, we need to leave."  
  
"Alright." She called back and then turned to face Black. "I'll be back tomorrow night, don't go anywhere, if I can I will bring Harry." She told him and his entire face lit up with the mention of Harry.  
  
"Thank you." He called, "And Buffy?"  
  
"Ya,"  
  
"Would you watch out for him?"  
  
"Yes I will." She promised climbing onto Anlon's back and he took off into the air.  
  
They arrived just as the sun was rising and Oz and Willow were waking up.  
  
"Come on sleepy heads, we need to get you stuff from Diagon Alley." Buffy said, walking into the room like she had just gotten up, not like she hadn't gone to bed yet. They looked at her and shrugged, struggling to get out of bed.  
  
Diagon Alley  
  
"So what's it like?" Willow asked Buffy, as they walked through the alley getting school supplies.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Having a father and being a witch?"  
  
"I had a father before, Will." Buffy reminded her, "He's cool, it's hard to think of him as dad, but he is a better father than Hank ever was." She told them and then pointed to a shop where there were familiars. "We need to go there, you and Oz need a familiar." She reminded them and Willow was practically jumping up and down with the excitement. "Did the house elves give her coffee?" she asked Oz, who simply shrugged and followed his girlfriend into the shop.  
  
"I just realized," Willow said, as Oz and her were picking out their pets, "how are we going to pay for this?"  
  
"You're not." She told them and they looked at her, "I am."  
  
"Buffy.." they both started to complain, but was stopped by Buffy's hand.  
  
"It's okay, mom was rich or something, it could quite possibly be Dad, not sure, but needless to say he said that we would be paying for it." She told them, "Besides I think he feels guilty for not knowing about me and for me being the slayer."  
  
"Oh." Willow said and then shrugged, she picked out a black cat with white spots on its nose, while Oz picked out a white owl, promising to learn spells to change the color of the owl to match his hair.  
  
"You never said how it was being a witch." Willow reminded her friend.  
  
"Well, it's interesting, because I can do magic, but most of it won't work on me." She told them, "Professor Dumbledore says it's because I'm the slayer and that it changed the magic that I had already possessed, even though I didn't know about it."  
  
"How does it affect you being the slayer? Or does Giles not know."  
  
"It's different." Buffy said, "Because I can feel everything and I can tell who is evil and who isn't, but I can also tell the gender, like I can with demons. But my slayer sense is going into over drive because everything here is magical and it effects my sense. But on the plus, I attract magical creatures."  
  
"So, spill."  
  
"What?"  
  
"About Oliver."  
  
"What about him?" Buffy asked, blushing slightly. She wasn't sure how she felt about the quidditch captain and she was wary about entering into a relationship after Angel.  
  
"Don't think we didn't hear about where you were when you hadn't returned back to the room." Willow told her, looking at her friend and hoping that she would get over Angel or at least move on, although Angel had and probably always would hold a large piece of her friend's heart, to see her even look at another guy was a great sign.  
  
"We fell asleep." Buffy told them and Willow simply raised her eyebrow. "We did!" she defended herself and Willow still looked doubtful.  
  
"Come on, I've seen the way he looks at you."  
  
"He doesn't look at me in any way."  
  
"I'd have to agree with Willow on this one." Oz put in.  
  
"You'd agree with Willow if she told you that the earth rotated backwards." Buffy told the werewolf, "Speaking of earth, you need to talk to Professor Lupin."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he has your problem also and he can tell you were to go so that you aren't in a public place when you change." Buffy reminded him, "Besides you are on the other side of the earth, when is the next full moon?" she asked and he looked thoughtful. "Alright, I'll talk to him." Oz agreed he was actually looking forward to talking to someone who had the same problem as him.  
  
"Buffy!" they heard and they all turned, Snape and Giles were walking towards them. "It's time to head back if we are to make it for dinner." They told the children, and Buffy shook her head at them, they had become fast friends after Snape stopped trying to kill Giles for being Buffy's watcher.  
  
"Do you have everything?" Giles asked, a fatherly note entering his voice.  
  
"Ya," Willow answered and Oz nodded, they got back into the carriages and set off to Hogwart's.  
  
Hogwart's: The Great Hall  
  
They entered the Great Hall and took seats at the Gryfindor table, Oz and Willow was nervous, because they were about to be sorted.  
  
"Before we begin dinner tonight, I would like to introduce two new students, Willow Rosenberg and Daniel Osberon." Dumbledore motioned them forward and when they stood at the front of the Great Hall, he continued, "We are going to sort them now and then dinner will be served. Ms. Rosenberg?" he motioned for Willow to sit on the stool where a ratty old hat was placed on her head.  
  
"Mhmmm, very interesting.. Hellmouth.. demons.. a wandless witch! You are very powerful. But where to put you?"  
  
'With Buffy.' Willow thought.  
  
"You would do well in Gryfindor, but you would do better in Slytherin, are you sure?"  
  
'Yes.'  
  
"Alright then." The sorting hat said, "GRYFINDOR!" the hat was taken off of Willow and Oz moved to take her place.  
  
"Mhmm, another one." The hat said, "But you are a werewolf too, I know just where to put you. Exactly where I placed the last one." The hat said, "GRYFINDOR!" Oz got off the stool and they both took their seats next to Buffy.  
  
"Excellent, now that, that is done, let's eat." Food appeared before everyone and Willow jumped slightly, still not used to food just appearing out of thin air. The table chattered with Willow and Oz, attempting to find out about their new dorm mates.  
  
When dinner was done, they headed towards Gryfindor Tower, where they were met with a group of people. "What is going on?" Buffy asked and pushed her way forward. She gasped at what she saw, the fat lady had been ripped to shreds and she was no where to be seen. "Everyone back to the Great Hall."  
  
"Excuse me, but I am the prefect."  
  
"And I know what goes bump in the night." She hissed and then made the announcement once more, "Everyone return to the Great Hall, now!" The crowd turned and left, while Buffy simply brought up the rear.  
  
"I will have to write you up." Percy said, "I am the prefect and as such.."  
  
"I don't give a damn!" Buffy said, cutting off his tirade, "I am the one that protects all you from the things that go bump in the night and right now with everyone out I cannot do it. Write me up! Go ahead, Dumbledore won't let it stick."  
  
"He will, because.."  
  
"What you said so?" she asked, knowing that Dumbledore might usually do that, but she was always the exception. "We can argue about this later, for right now, get in side." She said, noticing that so many bodies outside where attracting the vampires that lived in the forbidden forest. She stepped between the vampires and the students. "I'm sorry, but I think you're a little old to be students." She said to the vampires.  
  
"Slayer."  
  
"Slayee." Buffy replied, "How about this, I give you the chance to run away now, because I'm not having the best of nights, or we can fight and you can all die."  
  
"It's eight to one, slayer." The vampire said all of them laughing.  
  
"I know it hardly seems fair.. to you." She said and the vampires stopped laughing, and attacked. It was the sloppiest attack that Buffy had ever seen, they took her on one on one, rather than attacking simultaneously. The students rushed to get into the great hall, when one of the vampires snuck around Buffy. Buffy noticed the vampire and threw the one charging her at him, knocking them both to the ground, before she threw her stake into both of their hearts.  
  
The attack lasted thirty seconds and when the dust cleared, Buffy had a cut on her arm, but was otherwise fine.  
  
"Get inside." She repeated and the students obeyed without question, even Percy.  
  
Once the students where inside, Buffy set out to get Dumbledore and Anlon.  
  
"Anlon?" she asked as soon as she stepped back outside. "Yes?" he questioned landing next to her.  
  
"Who was it?"  
  
"I'm not sure, it isn't anyone I have ever seen before, but he could turn himself into a rat. He got mad when the fat lady wouldn't let him in, so he shredded the painting and then he turned into a rat when he heard the student's on their way back."  
  
"Thanks." She said, "Could you fly around and make sure that he isn't looking for another way into the castle?" Anlon nodded and then took off into the air, while Buffy headed back inside to talk to Dumbledore.  
  
"Settle down students." Dumbledore said, "There is nothing to be afraid of, you will be sleeping here tonight and the prefects are in charge." He said and then motioned Buffy forward. "Can you help the teachers look around?" She nodded and made her way to Willow and Oz.  
  
"Hey, I'm going to help the teachers, could you lay my mat?"  
  
"Already been done."  
  
"Really? By who?"  
  
"Oliver."  
  
"Thanks." Buffy said, blushing at the thought of Oliver doing that for her. She made her way over to him and Willow and Oz followed and then set up their mats next to theirs. "Thank you."  
  
"Your welcome. Why aren't you sleeping in your room?"  
  
"Dumbledore wants me to watch the students, but also because the entire school is here and there might be an attack." She told him and he nodded, it made sense. She got up and left and returned after everyone had gone to sleep, except for the terrible trio who were talking about who would want to break into Hogwart's.  
  
Buffy laid down next to Oliver and was about to go to sleep, when she saw a rat sneak out of Rons clothing and head off. She could feel that it was human and got up, following it. It led her out into the night and then into the Forbidden Forest, where it met a snake like being.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"I'm sorry master." Pentgrew said, as he morphed back into human, "But I couldn't get in, they changed the password while I was in the hospital."  
  
"I will not tolerate failure, I will give you one more chance." It told him before the thing slithered away, Pentgrew was about to morph back when Buffy stepped into the clearing.  
  
"Sounds like someone is going to die." She said and he turned, fear and shock radiating from his body. "Wonder if Ron knows his rat is really a rat?"  
  
"Fortunately for me you will never tell him." He told her, drawing his wand out, "Avada Kedar." A green light hit her and bounced off of her.  
  
"That kind of tickled." She said and he stood there in shock, he tried to morph back, but Buffy would not let him. "Seems that my magic is more strong then yours. Stupefy!" Peter hung in the air and Buffy grabbed him and threw him over her shoulder, carrying him back to the castle, where she dropped him in Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Found a rat. This is the real murder of the Potter's." Buffy said and Dumbledore nodded, before summoning an owl and attaching a piece of paper to it, before sending it to the Ministry of Magic.  
  
"They should be here any minute." As Dumbledore said this, two people arrived on brooms and got off of them.  
  
"This had better be good." One of them muttered.  
  
"Oh, indeed it is." Dumbledore told them, "This is the real murder of the Potters." The men looked at each other and then at Dumbledore in shock.  
  
"How do we know?"  
  
"We could ask him." Buffy suggested, "Make him drink the truth potion and he will be forced to tell the truth." Dumbledore nodded and summoned for Snape, who came a mer minutes later with the potion.  
  
"We will talk later." He said, looking at Buffy.  
  
"Sorry, dad." She said and then unfroze Pentgrew, who looked around the room and tried to turn back into a rat, but was unable to, because of Buffy. They forced him to drink the potion and he told everything, clearing Black of all charges. Buffy returned to the great hall, where Lupin asked if she would attend his class that morning, she agreed and everything was set.  
  
Lupin's classroom  
  
"After last night, I thought we should change directions and study the vampire slayer and vampires." He told them.  
  
"But the slayer is just a myth." "Well, then in that case, I'm not here." Buffy said, stepping out into the room.  
  
"And I would like to introduce the current vampire slayer, Buffy Snape. I'm sure she would be willing to answer any question that you might have." Lupin said and then turned the class over to Buffy.  
  
"So, any questions?" Buffy smiled as the questions flew at her from all directions. "Alright, lets try this another way. I will call on one of you and then you can answer a question for me." she said looking around the room, the students nodded their agreement. "Alright you." she pointed to a girl in the front of the room.  
  
"When where you called?"  
  
"At the age of 15." she replied and the students looked shocked, a slayer only usually lasted a year, at the most. "My turn. Why do we wear these robes?" Buffy could not understand why the weren't simply allowed to be themselves, another girl raised her hand and Buffy nodded to her.  
  
"Because it is supposed to make all of us be one school and get us to talk to other houses." Buffy nodded. "What is it like being the slayer?" Buffy thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain this to anyone.  
  
"It is like you are part of something that is greater than the entire world." She said and the girls nodded, entranced, "But at the same time it is hard to deal with everything that life has to throw at you and still having to go out and save the world, when you just want to die." she replied and she could tell by the looks that her life had suddenly lost some of it's glimmer. "Alright, why is there so much competition between the houses?"  
  
"It has always been like that." replied one guy, another student nodding his agreement, "We compete to win the school cup every year." Buffy nodded, not really knowing what to say to that. "What is the hardest thing that you have done?" Buffy swallowed at that, that was one of the most difficult questions in the world, because there was so much that she had faced.  
  
"Well," she said, "There have been a lot of difficult things before me," she told them, "When I was sixteen I moved to a little town called Sunnydale," she heard a gasp go around the class and she realized that they knew what Sunnydale was, "Where I met my current watcher and my friends. I also met another.. Friend." she had paused when trying to figure out a way to describe Angel, "he would help me out from time to time, giving me vague warnings and the likes." she smiled at the bittersweet memories. "One day I was early for my training and I heard my watcher and him fighting. There was a prophecy that came to light, that said I would die." she paused to let that sink in. "I was fourious, but more than anything I was afraid to die. I tried to talk my mom into leaving that night, but she didn't know and she had things to do. So I stayed and I hid, thinking about everything. The vampires attacked our school and massacred some of the students and I knew what I had to do. I went to the school where I found my watcher about to go and risk his life. I knocked him out and left to go to my fate."  
  
"Which you obviously didn't meet, because here you are."  
  
"Ahh, but I did." Buffy told them smiling, "I went down there to die and I did. The Master drowned me, but my friend found me and preformed CPR on me, bringing me back to life." she said and the entire class gasped, she had died Professor Lupin looked at Buffy and realized just how much she had been through and there was so much that she had yet to tell, standing up he silenced the class.  
  
"That is all for today, I'm afraid," he said, walking towards the front of the class, "Thank you Ms. Snape, for the help."  
  
"You are welcome, Professor." she said and began to walk away.  
  
"Would you mind waiting a moment?" he asked, and she nodded, soon they were the only ones in the room.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"If you ever need to talk, I am here." he said, knowing that she had been through many hard things and most of them recently.  
  
"Thank you for the kind offer." she replied and turned and left, leaving a very perplexed teacher wondering what to do. 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry that it took so long to update!!!  
  
Chapter 12  
  
"That no good slimy git."  
  
"RON!" Hermonie said and Buffy had to stifle the urge not to laugh. They had just found out that they wouldn't be playing Slytherin, but Hufflepuff, because the Slytherin's were too emotionally scared from the other night. Buffy simply shrugged, excited that she would be playing Quidditch finally after all the practice.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked Harry, both of them tuning Ron and Hermione out.  
  
"Nothing," he replied quickly, a little too quickly for Willow's and Buffy's taste. Willow looked at Harry and gave him the patent "Resolve Face" and waited. Harry sighed when he saw the face, knowing immediately that Willow and Buffy wouldn't allow him to get away with nothing. "It's just that the teachers are following me ever where and I don't know why and it just sucks, because they caught Peter Pettigrew and cleared Sirius Black's name, so why are they stalking me?"  
  
"Harry, Voldemort just lost someone that had been spying on the inside for him, he might step up his plans to get you." Buffy told him gently, she wasn't going to lie to him and Harry was grateful for that. "They are just concerned for you." Buffy, Willow, and Harry never noticed the room go silent as Buffy said Voldemort's name. Hermione and Ron just gaped at them.  
  
"Mouth looks better closed." Oz said, walking into the room, Willow immediately standing up, putting Oz in her seat and then sitting on his lap, smiling the entire time. "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing." Buffy replied and looked around, "What did you do with the fearless captain?"  
  
"He was right behind me." Oz replied and Buffy nodded, knowing that was probably the most she would get out of Oz and was thankful that it wasn't a one word answer.  
  
"Buffy!" Hermione managed; finally, "You said his name."  
  
"Whose?" she asked in confusion, not growing up in the wizard world, she didn't realize it was taboo to say Voldemort's name.  
  
"Voldemort's." Harry filled in and Hermione and Ron gasped, again. Buffy looked confused, as though to say so did you. "People in the wizarding world don't say his name, because they fear it will turn his attention onto them."  
  
"Oh." Willow and Buffy said together, both giggling at this. Before anyone could tease the two of them, Oliver walked in, going to take the seat next to Buffy, but found none. Oliver looked at Ron, who just smiled at him. Buffy rolled her eyes as she caught on to what the group was doing, standing up, she put Oliver in her seat and than sat in his lap, she didn't miss the look that pass through the group.  
  
"Don't think you're that slick." she muttered to them, from Oliver's lap.  
  
"Has anyone seen Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Not recently." Buffy said, although she knew where he was and that she would be teaching his classes. "I heard that he hasn't been feeling well, the last couple of days." Hermione seemed to accept this, but Buffy knew that teaching about werewolves would certainly get her attention, but that's what Lupin wanted her to teach.  
  
DADA Class  
  
The students filed into the class and where looking around for a teacher, what they found instead was Buffy sitting on the desk, in low riding jeans and a T-shirt. The guys appreciated the view and the girls where wondering why they couldn't wear muggle clothes.  
  
"Alright guys, settle down." Buffy began, "As most of you know, Professor Lupin hasn't been feeling very well and he wants me to teach this class, cause I've got the most qualifications. Well, he decided since we have discussed vampires, the next thing should be..." Harry and Oliver Wood came running into the room.  
  
"It's my fault he's late, Professor Lupin." Oliver panted out, both boys looked up and gaped at the sight they encounter. Oliver unconsciously licked his lips, while Harry wondered where Lupin was.  
  
"Where is Professor Lupin?" Harry asked.  
  
"He's sick." Buff told him, "If you could take your seat..."  
  
"What about points taken off?" a Slytherin yelled, "Oh, wait you're not a teacher." the Slytherins began to gather their things and began smirking at Buffy as they passed.  
  
"You're right I'm not." Buffy said and their smirks got bigger, "I'm a teacher assistant who has been given full control of this class, including points." This stopped every single Slytherin who had been about to walk out the door; surprisingly Malfoy wasn't one of them. "But don't let little olla' me stop you." Buffy told them, and they looked at each other, trying to decide if they should leave, "It will just be fifty points for each Slytherin that leaves." she promised sweetly and Oliver smiled smugly at them. "Yea, right." one of them muttered, walking out of the classroom, along with a few others, but the majority sat back down.  
  
"150 points from Slytherin." Buffy said and they could see the points drop. The rest of them were glad that they hadn't left the room. "Oliver, don't you have a class you need to get to?" Oliver looked around and then took one last look at Buffy, before he left the room.  
  
"Great, as I was saying, we will be studying werewolves." she told them and the class began to chatter excitedly. "So, can anyone tell me a difference between a real wolf and a werewolf?" Immediately Hermione's hand shot up, Buffy shot her a grin, "How about Oz?"  
  
"The muzzle is longer." he stated and Willow shot him a happy grin.  
  
"Correct, ten points to Gryffindor." Buffy commented, "Now, we have a special treat, because we have a student that doesn't mind talking to you about being a werewolf." She began to turn the floor over to Oz, but thought she might want to give a little warning, "If I find out that you have been teasing this student or playing jokes on him, you will find out why I am the slayer and why the darkness fears me. And with that I would like to introduce Oz." Gryffindor stood up and began to clap, while the Slytherins looked a little nervous.  
  
"Hey." Oz began, "I'm kind of going to do a question and answer period." he told them and immediately Hermione's hand shot up. "Yes, Hermione?"  
  
"How did you become a werewolf."  
  
"Got bit." he commented. He earned a few chuckles from the class but Hermione did not look please. He wondered if anyone had ever told her that she had a Resolve Face. "My cousin Jory bit me and I changed at the next full moon."  
  
"Did it hurt?"  
  
"Not really, I just recommend not tickling someone that is a werewolf, because they have a tendency to bit first and feel bad about it later."  
  
"What's it like?"  
  
"It's like someone has taken over your body and you have no control over you actions. I don't really remember much from being a werewolf, but I have been told that it comes with age and that I can learn to control my wolf."  
  
"What happens when the full moon comes?"  
  
"Well, it's actually the full moon and the two night surrounding it." Buffy piped up and everyone turned to look at her.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because the werewolf is such a potent personality that it comes out three times a month instead of once." Buffy told them and she could see Hermione slowly piecing it all together.  
  
"Did Willow always know you were a werewolf?"  
  
"Yes." Willow told them, "I found out and he changed right in front of me and then he tried to eat me" she told him and they gasped, "oh, don't worry cause we lock him up now." she heard a few sinkers and turned bright red, "I didn't. Mean. It like that." she told them.  
  
"Yea, we generally sedate Oz and then put him in a cage." Buffy replied.  
  
"You shoot him?"  
  
"Well, only with a sedative." Buffy replied, defensively. "He does try to eat us."  
  
"But the full moon is tonight." someone cried out in outrage, "Shouldn't he be locked up?" Everyone from Sunnydale laughed, plus Hermione.  
  
"No. The werewolf can only take control after the sun sets." Buffy replied and then looked at the time, "But that is all for this class. Professor Lupin asks that you write a paper on how to recognize a werewolf and the symptoms, he also said that you can't ask Oz, you have to do the research. Only Ten Inches and it is due by Monday to Professor Lupin." The class got up and left, leaving Willow, Oz, and Buffy behind.  
  
"Thanks, Oz." Buffy said, getting up and hugging him.  
  
"Sure." he replied and Buffy had to smile, because he was back to his one word answers.  
  
"So, I got a letter today," Willow said and Buffy looked at her, "From Xander." Buffy started to leave, but Willow caught her hand. "He is really sorry, he wants to apologize and he wants you as a friend again."  
  
"I'll have to think about it." Buffy replied, "that's the best I can do right now." Willow nodded, knowing that Buffy would give in and write back to Xander and the Scooby gang would be complete once again.  
  
Later that Day: Quidditch field  
  
"Buffy, you need to speed up, if we want to win tomorrow..."  
  
"I know, Oliver." the blonde slayer interrupted, "If you don't stop riding me though I'm not going to get it."  
  
"We only have one more day and we will be playing Hufflepuff, you need to be quicker." He told her and he never saw the others roll their eyes, because Buffy was the fastest quidditch player they had ever seen. She always seemed to anticipate what would happen next.  
  
"Look, Oliver, why don't we call it a night." the rest of the team nodded at this, "We have a match tomorrow and I have to go and patrol shortly and these guys will catch a cold if they stay out anymore."  
  
"We've only been at it for an hour or so." Oliver said and he was beginning to get irritated that everyone was ganging up on him. The others on the field were wondering why Oliver was pushing Buffy so hard tonight, sure it was her first game, but she had it down. Buffy was also getting pretty pissed, because she did need to get sleep, but she also had to go and see Sirius.  
  
"Oliver we have been out here for five hours." Buffy replied, "I'm leaving."  
  
"We are not done."  
  
"Yes, we are." Buffy replied, "And you might want to figure your priorities out before you come to see me again." she told him, before going to her rooms, Anlon on her heels. The other Quidditch players looked at Oliver, before following Buffy's lead, the girls where shaking their heads.  
  
"How could you, Oliver?" one of them asked, "She has been through enough as it is."  
  
"Insensitive jackass." Hermione murmured, Ron and Harry stared at her in shock. "What! It's not like I can't swear, I just don't like it." Oliver was left out there by himself, trying to figure out what exactly had just happened.  
  
Shrieking Shack  
  
"Sirius?" she questioned as she walked in, "Sorry I'm la.." she trailed off as she stepped into the room and found four Death Eaters holding Sirius. She was mentally berating herself, because if she hadn't been pissed she would have felt them. "Is this a private party or can anyone join?" Sirius looked up and shook his head, trying to tell her to leave.  
  
"No, anyone can join." one of them replied, "It's just you won't be playing long enough for it to matter. Avada Kedavra." a green light hit Buffy sending her flying back, she hit the wall with enough force to knock the breath out of her.  
  
"It doesn't seem that she joined for long." one of them said and the rest of them laughed. "Now, what happened to Peter?" they began again, but Sirius couldn't tell them, because he hadn't heard anything yet.  
  
Buffy shook her head, trying to clear it, without drawing too much attention to her. She could feel Oz and Professor Lupin pacing back and forth in the other room and without a second's hesitation, she opened the door letting the two werewolves into the room. Lupin immediately began attacking the Death Eaters, so Oz followed his example. Buffy made her way over to Sirius and grabbed him, she then used the tranquilizer gun on Lupin and Oz and grabbed them too and apparated them back to Hogwarts and into Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Hi." Buffy said, "if you could take care of them." she asked and then fainted, the curse and apparating taking it's toll. Snape moved forward and caught his daughter before she hit the ground, he glared at Sirius, whom he believed was responsible.  
  
"It's not my fault." he began, but he noticed that the werewolves were beginning to stir, "Could we do something with them, before they wake up?"  
  
"Yes," Giles said, he charmed the two werewolves and went down to the basement, where he locked them in a room that wasn't being used. He put a spell on the door, so that only one of the professors or the people from the inside could open the door.  
  
Hospital Wing  
  
Buffy awoke with a start. She looked around and noticed that she was in the hospital wing. She immediately began to struggle to get up.  
  
"Don't even think about it, young lady."  
  
"Hey, dad."  
  
"Don't "Hey, dad", me." he replied, he could still feel what it was like to catch her and wonder if she was alright and he was so worried that she wouldn't wake up. "What were you doing?"  
  
"I was supposed to invite Sirius back to Hogwarts."  
  
"Well, you did get me here." Sirius said, from the other side of the room, where he was in one of the hospital beds, also. "And I want to thank you for that."  
  
"Sure, no problem." she muttered and then looked at her dad, "When can I get out of here?" she questioned sounding so hopeful.  
  
"Tomorrow, at the earliest. Madame Pomfrey wants to make sure that you are okay."  
  
"But the game is tomorrow!" Buffy cried out.  
  
"And you can play, if you stay and rest here." Snape promised, before they could say any else Willow and Oliver burst into the room, followed quickly by Harry, Ron, Hermione, and surprisingly, Draco.  
  
"Are you okay?" Oliver questioned, taking hold of her hand. Willow beamed at this and gave her friend a look that said they would be talking later.  
  
"I'm fine," Buffy promised and smiled a reassuring smile at her friends. They all looked relieved, until they realized that she wasn't in the hospital by herself.  
  
"Whose he?" Willow questioned softly.  
  
"Sirius Black." Hermione said, Ron and Hermione immediately stepping in front of Harry, while Draco and Oliver stepped in front of Buffy. Rolling her eyes, Buffy tried to get their attention.  
  
"Hey, guys." she said and they didn't take their eyes off of Sirius. "He was the reason I had to leave." she told them.  
  
"You were going to get him to put him back in jail?" Draco asked.  
  
"No." Buffy replied, "I was actually going to find him to invite him to come to Hogwarts."  
  
"What! Why?" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Because he didn't kill Harry's parents," Buffy replied, "he isn't in league with Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew was and he has been captured and is now in jail." she told them and they looked at her. "Dumbledore wanted him to be somewhere safe, before the Death Eaters looked for him, but they had found him before I got there." Buffy hung her head down, realizing that if she had told Oliver off earlier than she would have been in time to save them.  
  
"It's okay Buffy, if you had arrived earlier, than Oz and Lupin would have died, instead of me getting kicked around a little." Sirius said, trying to comfort the girl that had saved his life.  
  
"What I want to know is why didn't the Death Eaters use an unforgivable curse on Buffy?" Hermione asked, she clearly trusted the slayer's judgement.  
  
"They did." Buffy muttered, looking a bit sheepish, while Snape glanced at his daughter, because he hadn't heard what curse was used on her.  
  
"Did you dodge it and which one?" Hermione questioned on, Buffy merely shrugged and looked at the bed sheets, suddenly finding them very interesting.  
  
"The killing curse." Sirius told them and Snape gasped, reaching down to touch Buffy, to make sure that she was indeed still there. "And no she didn't dodge it."  
  
"Well, obviously they missed, because she's still here."  
  
"No, she got hit." Sirius replied, suddenly wondering what other powers the little slayer held. "And she got up and let Oz out and then grabbed me and stunned Oz and grabbed him and then apparated us back here."  
  
"But you can't apparate in Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed. Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement.  
  
"No, sweat." Buffy replied, "At least I didn't die this time around," she said and Willow nodded her agreement. She leaned forward and gave her friend a hug, tears streaming down her face. "It's okay, Will."  
  
"No, it's really not." Willow said, "What would have happened if they used a gun or something on you?"  
  
"Then maybe I would stop coming back." she replied and was rewarded with glares from everyone in the room. "Jeez, it was just a joke."  
  
"Everyone out. She's had enough excitement for one day." Madame Pomfrey said and everyone began to leave, but Oliver, because she still had a death grip on his hand.  
  
"No! Don't leave." she said, and then thought, "on second thought, I'll leave too." she said and received several glares. "Fine." she huffed and looked at Willow pleadingly.  
  
"Is it okay for me to stay?" Willow asked and Madame Pomfrey shook her head, again she tried to get them to leave, but Buffy would not let Oliver go.  
  
"If it is alright, I don't mind Mr. Wood, staying with my daughter, so long as he knows that if anything happens he will have detention with me for the rest of his natural life." Snape said and Madame Pomfrey gave in, because she really didn't think that Buff would let go of his hand. Sirius looked at Snape in a new light, it was obvious to him that Snape loved his daughter very much and that surprised him.  
  
After everyone had filed out of the room, leaving Buffy, Sirius, and Oliver in the room by themselves, Buffy moved over in her bed and pulled Oliver next to her. Calling another blanket from another bed Oliver pulled the blanket around Buffy and himself, before he settled in for a night's sleep.  
  
Sirius smiled at the two, he could tell that Oliver had finally fell in love and he wasn't sure but he would hazard a guess that the slayer had as well. He thought they made a perfect couple and was happy that some good had come out of everything. As Sirius began to fall asleep, he heard Buffy begin to speak. "Yea, know Harry, it won't do you any good just standing next to him, you might want to open your mouth and talk to him." she told Harry and Sirius looked at her like she had grown three heads and then some, when Harry took off the cloak and was standing right next to him.  
  
"She always does that." Harry muttered. "Umm, so Dumbledore said you were my godfather."  
  
"Yes." Sirius said, his voice full of shame. "I want to apologize, Harry, because if I hadn't switched..."  
  
"Voldemort would still have found my parents and killed them and you." Harry replied, "At least this way I have someone that knew my parents."  
  
"I would like the chance to get to know you and if at the end of the school year, you would like, I would like it very much if you would come live with me." Sirius said and Harry felt his chest expand, because someone wanted him. Someone wanted him, not being forced to take him.  
  
Buffy drifted off to sleep, with a smile on her face, mentally patting herself on the back. She snuggled into Oliver, using his chest as a pillow as she fell asleep, anxious about the next day and Quidditch.  
  
Quidditch Pit  
  
"It's going to be a tough one." Oliver Wood said, as he finished his good luck speech to his team.  
  
"We know, Oliver." Harry said, "And besides, we don't mind a little rain." Although, the storm raging outside was more than a little ran and they all knew it. They walked out to the field, Oliver in the lead, as Hufflepuff crossed the field from the opposite sides. Diggory and Oliver met and the middle and shook hands. Everyone tensed, each waiting for Madame Hooch to say the words,  
  
"Mount your brooms." and everyone took off into the air. After about five minutes, everyone was soaked and freezing as the storm raged on around them. Everyone was having a hard time staying on their broom as the storm made them slick from the rain. Madame Hooch blew her whistle and the teams went to their respective places.  
  
"We are up by fifty, but we need you to catch the snitch," Oliver told Harry.  
  
"Easier said than done." he replied, "I can't see anything with my glasses on."  
  
"Harry, give me your glasses." Hermione said, "Impervius!" she handed them back to Harry who put them back on, quickly. "That should make them repel water." Oliver looked like he could just kiss Hermione, but Madame Hooch blew her whistle again. "Alright, let's go!" They mounted their brooms and flew back into the air. Harry could finally see everything and he made quick work of finding the snitch and he began chasing around after it. He went flat on his broom and began to go after the snitch, but suddenly the stadium began to go quiet and he could hear voices, like he had on the train.  
  
"Harry!" Buffy cried, turning her broom towards Harry, she went after him, she watched him grab the snitch, as he plummeted to the earth. Buffy heard the whistle go off, but all's she could think about was getting to Harry in time. As she drew near him, she realized why he was in shock, there was a dementor on the field and he was looking at him. Buffy could hear the voices getting louder, but using the training techniques that Giles taught her, she pushed it all aside. Urging her broom into a nosedive, she got under Harry. Nabbing him around the waist, she pulled up right before they would have hit the ground. She saw everyone rushing towards them and she saw Dumbledore getting rid of the dementors, but the damage had already been done. Stopping the broom, Buffy fell off the broom, rather than getting off it, she was immediately surrounded by people, who took Harry. Giles checked her over and gave her a very apologetic look, right before he popped her shoulder back into place.  
  
"You are never playing this again and you are never going anywhere by yourself." Snape said, pulling his daughter into a quick hug.  
  
"Sorry da.." she trailed off as the world began to spin, everything finally catching up with her. She got visions in surround sound, as darkness claimed her. 


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry that it took so long to update!!!  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Flashback  
  
"You need to tell her about the school, Joyce. She isn't normal!" Hank shouted at his wife, wondering why he had married her, when she was a witch. "She needs to be somewhere where they know how to deal with someone like her."  
  
"Like what?" Joyce asked, rage in her voice, she knew that Hank resented her being a witch, but she had hoped that, that would change when Buffy was born. "She's a witch! She doesn't have some contagious disease."  
  
"She needs to leave!"  
  
"Fine, we'll leave!" Joyce shouted, running to her rooms and beginning to back her belongings.  
  
End flashback  
  
"No, Dad!" she shouted out in her sleep, causing Oliver and Snape to jump. "I'm sorry! I won't do anymore magic. Don't send me and mommy away!" Snape growled, cursing the man that had raised her. Snape had just assumed that she hadn't been born with magical abilities and from the sounds of it, she stopped at such a young age that she didn't remember having them. He wondered briefly if she had ever gotten something that she had wished for and without realizing it used magic.  
  
Flashback  
  
"It states clearly." Giles said, "When Buffy goes to face the Master, she will die!" hearing hysterical laughter they turned around to look at Buffy.  
  
End flashback  
  
"Does it say how I'm gonna die?" she asked, voice full of tears. "Will it hurt? Were you going to tell me?" Snape and Oliver looked at each other, hearing from Buffy was different than listening to her relive the memory.  
  
Flashback  
  
"The tricky things about prophecies is that they only let you in on a little of it." the Master told her, "If you hadn't come down, I wouldn't rise, because I need your blood to rise." he grabbed Buffy by the neck, lowering his head and biting into her skin, drawing in her blood. When she was nearly drained he dropped her body, letting her fall into a pool, "nice dress."  
  
Xander and Angel ran into the room, right after he left.  
  
"She's not breathing." Angel said.  
  
"We can give her CPR." Xander replied, his heart breaking for his friend.  
  
"You're going to have to, I don't have a breath." Angel replied and Xander did, bringing her back.  
  
"Buff you okay?"  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Ya." she murmured, "In fact I feel great. Let's go. Oh look a bad guy. Angel you might want to put on your gameface." Snape and Oliver raised their eyebrows at the mention of Angel, Buffy's ex, and Snape knew the Scourge of Europe.  
  
"It's not your's yet." she said and then paused as though hearing something. "I may be dead, but at least I'm still pretty, which is more than I can say for you." Snape and Oliver looked at each other, they had just assumed that Buffy had won in the cave, but she had just admitted that she had died!  
  
Flashback  
  
"You're going to Hell!"  
  
"Save me a seat." they began to fight in earnest as Acathla began to open his mouth, Angelus soon gaining the upper hand.  
  
"Take away your friends and family and what's left?"  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Me!" she replied. Her body moving slightly as though she was locked in an intense battle.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Buffy?" Angel asked, confusion marring his eyes. "I don't remember anything, it's all so muddled."  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Shh." she whispered, "It's okay. Angel, I love you. Close your eyes." tears began to leak from Buffy's eyes as she relieved her lover dying by her hand. Gasping for breath, her eyes popped open and she looked frantically around, her body tense and ready to fight.  
  
"Shh." Snape said, gathering his daughter close, "It's okay." He soothed his daughter as best he could, finally looking at Oliver and asking him to get Giles. Oliver took one last look at Buffy, before running out of the room and going to find Giles.  
  
"Sorry, I cried all over you." she said, still sniffling. She could hear his muffled chuckle and she looked at him.  
  
"I'll dry." he replied, "are you okay?" Buffy nodded, before burrowing back into his neck, hugging him tighter, careful not to use her full slayer strength. Snape sighed, hugging her back and thanking whoever sent her to him.  
  
"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed, rushing her friend's bed, enveloping her in a hug, as soon as Snape had let her go. "Don't ever do that again!" she chastised, she wasn't sure that she would have been able to go on without her best friend.  
  
"Your awake." was Oz's response, sending the slayer a smile. Giles shifted from foot to foot, before enveloping Buffy in a hug.  
  
"Do I get a cookie?" she whispered to him as she hugged him back. Giles gave a snort of laughter and hugged her tighter.  
  
"Always, dear girl." he promised, tears filling his eyes, he didn't want to let go of her, but realized that he would have to. Reluctantly, he let go of Buffy and took his place beside the bed.  
  
"So, when can I leave?" she asked and everyone laughed.  
  
"Not for a week." Madame Pompfrey said, then looked at Harry, "you either." she didn't get an argument out Harry, but Buffy put up a fight.  
  
"No." she said stubbornly, "I'll stay the night, but that's it." she looked at Giles, "Tell her I'm the slayer and I'll heal all nice and fine within a couple of hours." Giles looked at his slayer and then at her father, who was glowering at them.  
  
"Buffy, I think.."  
  
"No!" she shouted, "I won't stay here!" she jumped out of the bed and ran across the room, "no, you can't make me." she backed herself in the corner, letting the slayer come to the forefront. Giles and the Scoobies took a step back, instantly realizing that, that wasn't Buffy.  
  
The slayer eyed them as a threat, looking them over to find a weakness. Knowing that their magic wouldn't work on her, the slayer took off, navigating without bothering to look up.  
  
"Well, that was new." Giles said, taking his glasses off and cleaning them.  
  
The slayer stood outside of the Gryffindor Tower, when she felt something land behind her. Whirling around, she was ready for a strike, stopping immediately when she heard Buffy protest she let Buffy take control again.  
  
"Anlon." Buffy said, running up and hugging her friend, she could feel his confusion.  
  
"Buffy." he replied, "I thought you were in the hospital wing."  
  
"They let me go." Buffy fibbed.  
  
"Buffy, why would they just let you go?" he was confused, he realized that infused with the slayer allowed her to hell faster, but he was sure that a slayer had never healed that fast before, maybe the key abilities had fused with the slayer.  
  
"I'm okay, Anlon, I just wanna rest." she assured him, hugging him, before looking back at Gryffindor tower and concentrating on Oliver, with a small pop, she joined him in his room.  
  
"Buffy!" he exclaimed, glad that he hadn't gotten ready to go to bed and was still in his robes and everything. "What are you doing out of the medical wing?" Buffy looked sheepish and Oliver realized that she hadn't been let go, but had just left. "You didn't?" he asked, slightly frustrated.  
  
"I wouldn't stay." she replied, "I don't like hospitals and they wanted to keep me for a week!" Oliver sighed, he was unsure why the slayer had come to him, but he wasn't complaining. Patting the bed, he motioned for her to join him, she did so immediately.  
  
Buffy smiled when she realized that he wasn't going to try to send her back to the medical wing, it had been a risk, but she figured that he wouldn't. Snuggling up next to him, she placed her head on his chest and let the sound of his heart lull her to sleep.  
  
Oliver smiled down at the small blonde sleeping on his chest and pulled the blanket over them. Wrapping his arms around her tiny form, he settled back to go to sleep, when he heard a knock on the door.  
  
"Oliver!" he heard Oz on the other side of the door and sighed, "Buffy is missing."  
  
"Come in." Oliver said back and knew that Oz's wolf hearing would pick it up. Opening the door, Oz took a deep breath, laying on Oliver's chest was Buffy.  
  
"Never mind." he said, "She's been found." Oz turned around and went right back out the door, quickly locating Snape and Giles.  
  
"Were is he?" Snape asked, annoyed that the boy wouldn't help look for Buffy.  
  
"He's got his arms full." Oz replied and Giles looked at the usually quiet boy, reading into what hadn't been said.  
  
"She's with him?" Giles asked and Snape looked at Oz.  
  
"Yea, she's asleep." he replied, "She seemed pretty peaceful, too." Giles and Snape looked at each other, they wanted nothing more than to run up the stairs and rip Buffy out of Oliver's hands, but they both knew that the slayer would just run.  
  
"Tea?" Giles asked, Snape nodded and followed Giles to his rooms.  
  
Next Morning  
  
Buffy yawned, stretching she winced when her sore muscles complained. She realized a couple of things as sleep left her mind, she was completly healed and she was laying on top of a warm body. Smiling, she leaned up on her elbows and looked at Oliver, he was cute while sleeping. Who was she kidding? He was cute when he was awake, too. She blushed slightly, before feeling guilty. She had just lost Angel and she was already starting to like Oliver, pausing she realized that she already liked Oliver and could very well be on her way to loving him.  
  
Oliver traced her face, gently with his hand as he gazed up at her. He realized that she had been lost in thought and didn't want to startle her, in fear of getting hit by the slayer.  
  
"What are you thinking?" he asked, smiling when she leaned into his touch.  
  
"No where." she replied, she could hear people beginning to stir and gazed at Oliver, "I really need to go." Oliver looked at her and began to lean up, Buffy leaned down.  
  
"Is it safe for me to come in?" Oz asked and the two jumped apart, blushing furiously. Taking one last look at Oliver, Buffy apparented to her room.  
  
"You're back!" Willow said and Buffy was immediately gulfed in a hug. "We were so worried." she stepped back and looked at the slayer, realizing that Buffy was completely healed. "How did you heal so fast?"  
  
"Dunno." Buffy replied, grabbing her stuff and heading off to the showers, not wanting to talk about her healing abilities. She showered quickly and headed off to the dining hall.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, when the slayer walked into the room. "Medical room." she replied, moving over so that Oliver could sit next to her. "So, what's going on?" Before anyone could answer, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.  
  
"Despite the dementor's at yesterdays game, Gryffindor won the game." he said and the Gryffindor table cheered, Dumbledore raised his hand and they immediately quieted down. "Dementor's will be patrolling after dark, the Ministry seems to think it will help. We will be steeping up DADA with an extra class, lead by Miss Buffy Snape." Buffy looked up in alarm, "She will be teaching wandless defense, along with Miss Willow Rosenberg. Together they will teach you how to defend yourself without magic and without your wand, using magic." Dumbledore sat down and food immediately appeared in front of them.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked, looking at Willow and Buffy. Willow was still in shock, so she was unable to respond.  
  
"We didn't know." Buffy told her, looking at Dumbledore and wondering what he was thinking. Buffy stewed over what Dumbledore could possibly be thinking in wanting Buffy and Willow to teach. Before they knew it breakfast was over and Dumbledore was pulling them aside to talk to them.  
  
Dumbledore's Office  
  
"So," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eyes, "what do you think of our new class?"  
  
"Are you crazy?" Buffy asked, "you're going to trust me to teach students?"  
  
"Why not?" Dumbledore asked, "You are both students, they will listen to you better than listening to me. You are both qualified for it, and it will help them." Willow and Buffy nodded at his statements, they knew that they would help, so they turned to go.  
  
"Buffy, if you could stay for a moment." Dumbledore waited until Willow left before looking at Buffy.  
  
"What's the sitch?" she asked and his eyes twinkled, this girl had so much life in her.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about the dementor's." he said carefully and Buffy tensed, "They are attracted to you, because of everything that you have seen in your life. I want you and Harry to take a class with Professor Lupin about a way to get rid of dementors."  
  
"Sure." Buffy said quickly, "I wanted to ask you about my healing."  
  
"Yes? What about it?"  
  
"I have always healed fast, but now that I am off the Hellmouth, I seem to be healing faster." Buffy stuttered out, unsure of what his answer would be. "Well, as far as I can figure, the Hellmouth distorts the natural magic, so while you were on the Hellmouth, your slayer powers healed you, while your magic was dormant."  
  
"Oh." Buffy said, she wasn't really sure what had been said to her, but she was sure Giles would translate for her. "Thanks." she got up to leave and was stopped by Dumbledore.  
  
"I would like it if you took the day off and just rested. I heard about your excursion from the medical wing and I know that you stayed in Oliver's room, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn't do that in the future."  
  
"Sorry, sir." she said, ducking her head and blushing, quickly turning and leaving the room.  
  
Buffy wandered the halls of the school, thinking of what had been said and what had happened in her dreams induced by the dementor. Making her way to the library, she started searching through the books for information about the key.  
  
"This is the last place I thought I would find you." Giles said, making Buffy jump.  
  
"Hey." she said, she had been in the library for over five hours and all that she could find on the Key was that Glorificus was after it in an attempt to go home. "What's up?"  
  
"Haven't seen you all day and thought I would check up on you."  
  
"I'm good." she said, "Dumbledore gave me the day off."  
  
"So you thought you would spend it researching, what exactly?" he asked, indicating all the books in front of her.  
  
"Me." she said and he looked at her. "Anlon told me that I was the key and I wanted to see what it was. All that I have found so far is that Glorificus wants the key to return to her dimension, having been banished from it." Giles looked at her, before silently going to the restricted section and pulling a couple of volumes out. Taking one, he handed another to Buffy.  
  
"Where have you been? You've missed all of your classes." Willow said taking a seat next to Buffy in the library.  
  
"Here." was Buffy's reply, before handing Willow a book. "We are looking for information on the key." Willow nodded and began to search through, filling Oz in when he joined the group and then later Oliver and Snape.  
  
"I've found something." Willow yelled out, immediately shushed by the librain.  
  
"Since when do you have to be quiet in a library?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Since forever." Giles said and they laughed at the slayer's outraged expression. "Willow?"  
  
"Yes?" she asked and then realized what he wanted. "Oh! It says that Glorificus was a hell goddess, who ruled with two other gods. They were all brutal, but she was the most brutal and the other gods fearing that she would take over, banished her from the realm and into a mortal body, so that when the vessel died, so would Glorificus." Willow said.  
  
"What does that have to do with the key?"  
  
"In order for her to return to her world she needs the key."  
  
"We already knew that, Wills." Buffy said, getting up and pacing around the table.  
  
"She needs to preform a ritual on a given day and the key will open the portal."  
  
"So, what wrong with that?" Oliver asked and Oz shook his head, that was just something that you never asked.  
  
"The portal will tear the walls of the dimension making them bleed into one another." Giles guessed and Willow nodded.  
  
"Alright, the key is human," Snape said, looking at Buffy, "So what happens to her?"  
  
"Glorificus would need to bleed her." Willow said and looked at Buffy, "it will only stop when the blood stops flowing." Buffy sat down in shock, looking around the table.  
  
"What! It's not good enough that I'm the slayer?" she asked, rage in her voice, "But now this! What the hell did I ever do to deserve this?" she left the room and ran to Giles' room, where they had set up her training equipment, beginning to wail on it.  
  
"Is that going to help?" Snape asked, carefully entering the room and taking in her flawless performance as she beat up the punching bag.  
  
"No," she replied stopping to look at her father, "But it will make me feel better." When she didn't start hitting the bag again, Snape stood behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She turned into his embracing, throwing her arms around him and crying into his neck.  
  
"I don't want to die." she said, having a flash of deja vu. Snape hugged her harder, not wanting to lose her either.  
  
"I won't let you." he said, "I don't wanna lose you either." Snape held her as she cried, drying her tears and looking at her, "you ready to go face them?"  
  
"Ya." she said and then looked at him, "Thank you." "For what?"  
  
"Being a father." she replied, turning around and leaving the room. Snape followed her, confused at her statement and then remembered the "father" she had grown up with and growled at the thought. Maybe he could find Hank Summers and..  
  
"Buffy!" Willow, Giles, and Oliver yelled at the same time. "Are you okay?" they all began to laugh, realizing that they had, indeed, spent many years together and where beginning to think alike.  
  
"I'm good." she said, facing her demons and her second death looming on the horizon made her realize that she needed to have all of her friends here. "Thanks guys." she said, hugging everyone. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna turn in for the night." everyone nodded and said their goodnights. Buffy walked back to the girl's section of the tower, pulling out a pen and parchment.  
  
Dear Xander,  
  
Hey, how's it going? There is a couple of things that I wanted to get off of my chest. First I wanted to tell you that I sent Angel to Hell, not Angelus, my Angel. I had to thrust a sword into his gut and watch him get sucked into a portal to Hell. I spent weeks on my own, fighting my nightmares night after night, until Dumbledore came along. He offered me a chance to change my life and to help me overcome everything. I took that chance, I thought of you guys every day when I came to Hogwart's, and I couldn't think of writing to you guys, because it was still fresh.  
  
A part of me will always love Angel, there is a part that will always be reserved only for him. A place that no one else could touch, but him. Oliver makes me forget, for the time that I am with him, my pain and everything, he makes me feel like a real girl. Not the slayer, not some freak, a girl.  
  
It hurts that my friend can't understand that, but that's okay, because I will always love you. I forgive you and I have to ask for your apology. I was angry at you and I didn't want to talk to you and I was lashing out. Forgive me? I need my Xander shaped friend, here at Hogwart's with me.  
  
Please think about it and write back to me. Willow misses you and I miss you.  
  
Love always,  
  
Buffy  
  
Buffy went directly to the owerly and attached a message to his leg, watching the owl fly off and feeling lighter than she ever had. Going back to her room, she feel into a deep and peaceful sleep. 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings or anything else, but me.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry that it took so long to update!!!  
  
Chapter 14  
  
The following week Harry and Buffy returned to classes and everything was back to normal, or as normal as Buffy liked it. Every minute not in class or training was spent on finding out more information on Glorificus and what abilities were given to her through being the key. She was anxious for the first anti-dementor lesson to start and Harry and her chatted excitedly about the lessons and what they would be learning.  
  
Thursday night rolled around, Harry and Buffy walked down the corridor to the History of Magic room together. Arriving they saw that it was dark, but Buffy could see fine. Professor Lupin showed up a few moments later, setting a large package case on the desk.  
  
"What's that?" Buffy asked, she was always too curious for her own good and it usually wound up getting her into trouble.  
  
"A boggart," Lupin replied, causing both Harry and Buffy to shudder, "I've been searching the castle for one since Tuesday and I found this one in the dungeons."  
  
"Bet dad loved that." Buffy muttered under her breath and Lupin laughed, because Snape had indeed wanted to get rid of it, before Buffy accidently opened the cabinet or closet and found it herself.  
  
"So," Lupin began, looking at the two students before him, "The spell that I am going to try and teach you requires highly advanced magic, well beyond the Ordinary Magic Spells. It is called the Patronus Charm."  
  
"How does it work?" Harry asked nervously, Buffy leaned forward eagerly, wanting to learn anything that would help defend her against the dementors.  
  
"When conjured correctly, it conjures a Patronus," Lupin said, "it is an anti-dementor, it creates a buffer between you and the dementor." he looked over his students, who seemed to be deep in thought, "The Patronus is a positive force, everything that the dementor feeds off of, but unlike a human it doesn't feel despair, so the dementor cannot feed off of it. But I must warn you, the spell may be too advanced for you guys, many great wizards have tried and failed."  
  
"Eh!" Buffy snorted, "if I can defy a prophecy about my death, then I am sure I can do this." she hoped anyways, she was really feeling quite nervous about dealing with a boggart again, but after dealing with the dementor, she realized that it would probably turn into a dementor and she wasn't sure if she wanted it to change into a dementor or Angelus. "Right." Harry said, he was anxious about it as well, but he figured that if anyone in the school could do it, then it would be him and Buffy. Besides, Dumbledore wouldn't have sent him to learn it, if he couldn't learn to do it. "What does a Patronus look like?"  
  
"It depends on the wizard who conjures it, it is unique to that person."  
  
"And how do we conjure it?" Buffy asked, looking at Lupin curiously.  
  
"With a incantation." he replied and laughed when Buffy and Harry shot him a look of no duh! "Which will only work if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory." Lupin paused to give them a moment to think of their single happiest moment, before continuing. "The incantation is this, Expecto patronum!"  
  
"Expecto partonum," Buffy muttered under her breath, trying to get the hang of it.  
  
"Expecto partonum," Harry was muttering under his breath, trying his best to remember it.  
  
"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?" Lupin asked and Buffy and Harry looked at him in shock, they hadn't realized they were supposed to be trying to conjure one.  
  
"Expecto partonum!" Buffy and Harry cried together, focusing on their happy memory, small whisps of silver cloud puffed out of the end of their wands.  
  
"Did you see that?" Buffy cried in happiness.  
  
"Very good," Lupin said, "Harry, why don't you try it first?" Lupin was unsure of what the boggart would turn into when confronting the slayer, but he wasn't sure what to hope for either, because either way, Snape would kill him. Harry nodded slowly, stealing himself and his memory, as Lupin let the boggart out, which immediately shifted into a dementor.  
  
"Expecto partonum!" Harry cried, but he could feel the classroom falling away, "Expecto partonum! Expecto partonum!" he tried again.  
  
"Harry!" Lupin cried, Harry struggled to awarness, realizing that he was lying flat on his back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. He didn't have to ask what had happened.  
  
"Here." Lupin said, handing him a chocolate frog and then looking to Buffy, "Ready?" Buffy nodded and Harry stepped back and to the side, chewing on his frog, as Lupin raised the lid and waited with baited breath to see what it would turn into. A dementor stepped out of the bag and Buffy pushed aside the memories and instead focused on her one happy on!  
  
"Expecto partonum!" she cried, but it did nothing, concentrating harder, like Giles had taught her, she tried again, "Expecto partonum!" this time a sleek, black leopard appeared, padding towards the dementor, before turning around and settling down at Buffy's feet, between Buffy and the dementor.  
  
Lupin stood in shock as he witnessed Buffy preform a spell that she should not have been able to do. Realizing that as the slayer she had years of practicing concentration and the such, he realized that her training probably helped her. Repelling the boggart into the case again, he turned to appraise the slayer.  
  
"Very good!" he said, handing her a chocolate frog.  
  
"Bloody brilliant!" Harry said, all the more encouraged now that he had seen someone else preform it, he was willing to try with more zealous. Buffy shifted from foot to foot, a little uncomfortable with all the attention, but she was so damned proud that she wanted nothing more than to go running, screaming down the halls in joy, but she doubted that Dumbledore would appreciate that in any way.  
  
"See," Buffy said flippantly, "never say never."  
  
"Harry." Lupin said, before letting the boggart out, "Perhaps you should chose a different memory." Harry nodded thinking of learning that he would never have to go live with the Dursley's again. Lupin lifted the lid and the dementor sprung out.  
  
"Expecto partonum!" Harry cried out, concentrating on holding onto his memory and not the voices of his father and mother, trying to save him from Voldemort. "EXPECTO PARTONUM!" he could still hear the voices, but they were fading and the room was still present. A silver cloud exploded from Harry's wand, standing between Harry and the dementor, Lupin immediately put the boggart back into the case.  
  
"Very good!" he said, clearly impressed with his two students.  
  
"Sir?" Harry asked, "Why did Buffy's come out looking like an animal, and my didn't?"  
  
"Oh!" Buffy said, "I know this one," Lupin looked at her in amusement, nodding his head in her direction, "Well, it's like this. Since I'm the slayer, I have to learn all these concentration techniques to hone my slaying abilities." Lupin nodded his head and Harry smiled.  
  
"Would you be willing to teach me some of these techniques?" Harry asked and Buffy nodded immediately, she didn't want Harry to have to live through listening to his parents screams as they were killed.  
  
"Alright," Lupin said, drawing their attention to him, "That's it for tonight, why don't we do this again next Thursday?"  
  
"Sure." Harry and Buffy replied, both walking towards Gryffindor tower.  
  
"How's Sirius?" Buffy asked and Harry immediately brightened, she had heard that Harry was now living with him.  
  
"Good!" he exclaimed, "Well, you know that my broom got shredded into pieces?" Buffy nodded, "He bought me a Nimbus 2000!" Buffy looked confused at this, she wasn't sure what the differences between the brooms where, she was only knew that they flew and had great speed. "The newest broom! It is so cool and it goes so fast." Buffy smiled at his enthusiasm over the new broom.  
  
"That's good." she said, "Have you told Oliver?"  
  
"No." Harry said and they both looked at each other, realizing that their captain would probably start doing cartwheels or run shouting, or some extreme thing, if he didn't faint that is.  
  
"He's gonna flip." Buffy said and they started laughing at the image it produced of Oliver actually doing flips in his robes. By the time they reached the tower, they had finally calmed down enough to give the password to Sir Cadogan and step inside, both of them heading their separate ways to their dorm rooms.  
  
Next Day:  
  
"So," Willow said, as she woke up the next morning.  
  
"So, what?"  
  
"How did it go?"Willow was so excited that her friend would be learning how to deal with the dementors.  
  
"It went well, I can conjure one." Buffy said, "It is so cute! It's a black leopard, not sure why, but hey! It's adorable." Willow nodded in fascination, she had heard about the charm and knew that it took a considerable amount of magic to actually make one appear, but Buffy seemed able to do it.  
  
"Let's go to breakfast." Willow said quickly, Buffy looked at her suspiciously, but followed her out of the room.  
  
Entering the common area, Buffy let out a gasp. The room had been redone to look like her living room and had been decorated with streamers and balloons and huge sign that read "Happy Birthday, Buffy!"  
  
"Happy birthday, Buffy!" everyone shouted and the slayer blushed a bright shade of red. There was a cake and juice and presents, it seemed that everyone in Gryffindor had gotten her a present. "Thanks, guys." she said, she had forgotten it was her birthday and she also wanted to forget that it was her birthday, "you didn't have to."  
  
"Of course we do." Oliver said, "It's not every day that our own resident slayer has a birthday." the others nodded their agreement, but before Buffy could comment there was a tapping at the door. Willow looked at Buffy and urged her to open it.  
  
"It's for you." Willow said, dragging her friend to the door. Buffy opened the door caustiously, not sure what to be expecting on the other side of the door.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Buffster." Xander said, opening his arms, which Buffy ran into immediately.  
  
"How did you know?" Buffy asked, continuing to hug him.  
  
"After I got your letter I was writing back to you, when Willow contacted me, so I just waited." Xander said, "I owe you an apology."  
  
"It's okay." Buffy said, "I'm just glad to have my Xander shaped friend back." Dragging Xander into the common room, everyone silently observed the Scoobies, as they reminisced, before Hermione reminded them that they needed to get to class. Xander shifted uncomfortably at this.  
  
"You can come to class with me." Buffy said, she really wanted to talk to Xander about the Hellmouth and everything else. With the help of Willow and Hermione, Buffy managed to get the presents into her room and with a whispered spell Willow got rid of all decorations and everything else.  
  
Before the Scoobies made it to their first class, Dumbledore stopped them and asked Buffy and Xander to follow him to his office. Giving the password, Xander, Buffy, and Dumbledore stepped into his office, Buffy getting the second shock of the day.  
  
"Mom!" Buffy exclaimed in surprise. Joyce turned around in surprise, she had recieved an owl from Dumbledore, wanting to talk to her.  
  
"Buffy!" Joyce rushed to her daughter and pulled her into a hug. "I have missed you so much." she said, holding her daughter and then everything began to sink in. "How did you get to Hogwarts?" Buffy looked a little sheepish and unsure about how to answer that question.  
  
"I missed you too, mom." Buffy said, hugging her mother.  
  
"I didn't mean it when I said you couldn't come back," Joyce began and Xander let out a gasp of surprise, Buffy hadn't told them that, "you can come back any time you want to."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that you were a witch?" Buffy asked, ever since she had found out about Snape, she had, had that burning question.  
  
"Your father," Joyce began, but was interrupted as Snape walked into the room.  
  
"You wanted to see me, headmaster?" Snape asked, before hearing a gasp. Looking up, he caught a look at Buffy and then noticed the woman beside her. "Joyce?" they both looked at each other, Snape was the first to recover, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here to see my daughter." Joyce said, hoping that he hadn't found out that Buffy was his.  
  
"Too late mom." Buffy said, she had read her expression, "He knows and I know. He's been taking care of me." Snape looked from daughter to mother, unsure of what was going on.  
  
"Oh." Joyce said, "I suppose I have a lot to explain." Both of them nodded and Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"If you would like, Serverus has rooms that you could go to." Dumbledore suggested and they nodded, "Actually, Xander and Buffy if you could stay?" Buffy looked at her parents and then back at Dumbledore, she really wanted to go with them, her mom owed her an explanation and she wanted to hear it. "They have some catching up to do, without you." Dumbledore explained and Buffy nodded, watching her parents leaving.  
  
"What's up?" Buffy asked, as Xander and her faced the headmaster.  
  
"Well, I was hoping that Mr. Harrison had reconsidered his invitation to Hogwarts."  
  
"I would be too far behind." Xander pointed out and Dumbledore smiled at him kindly.  
  
"If you would like to stay, I am sure that Miss Snape would love to help you catch up, with the help of Miss Rosenberg and Mr. Osborne." Dumbledore said, Xander looked back from Dumbledore to his best friend.  
  
"Are you kidding!" he burst out, "Of course I'll stay!" Buffy smiled happily, nearly jumping up and down, when Xander pulled her out of her chair and swung her around the room. Dumbledore smiled at the picture before him, this was what true friendship was all about, learning to forgive each other and growing from each mistake that each of them made.  
  
"Put me down!" Buffy said, laughing, Xander finally complied and Buffy smiled at Dumbledore, before taking Xander out of his office and to the DADA class.  
  
"Hi, Professor Lupin!" Buffy said, "this is Xander Harris and he will be joining us for the rest of the year." "Yes!" Willow yelled, drawing all attention to her, turning a bright shade of red and sitting back down. Stifling a laugh, Xander and Buffy made their way to the back of the class.  
  
"Xander, don't feel bad if you don't understand, we'll catch you up. We are going to talk about Bezoar's. Can any one tell me what they are?" Lupin asked and Xander's hand shot up.  
  
"They are a prehistoric parasites, that take over their victims motor functions." he said and Lupin looked at him in surprise.  
  
"Ya, the mother lays eggs and the eggs hatch and attach to you on the back of your spine and they make you do things you don't want to do, like hit your best friend." Willow said, sending a glance to Xander, who grinned at her.  
  
"And how do you kill one?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed, "You have it drag you down to eat you and then you use an ice pick and kill it from the inside out." everyone in the class seemed a bit grossed out, "I recommend wearing clothes you will never wear again, cause you get this black gunk all over and it is just so hard to get out." Lupin laughed at this, causing the young slayer to turn and glare at him.  
  
"Well, for those of us that aren't the slayer." Lupin said, "you are going to write me a paragraph on how to kill a bezoar using magic and then another one not using magic. Class dismissed!" Everyone filed out of the class, eyeing the Scooby Gang with growing appreciation.  
  
"So, you've fought a bezoar?" Lupin asked, as the Scooby Gang walked by.  
  
"Yes." Buffy answered.  
  
"What haven't we fought?" Xander asked, "Mutated Fish students."  
  
"Hyena's."  
  
"Snyder."  
  
"Love Spells." Willow said, glaring at Xander, who looked sheepish.  
  
"Indestructible beings." Oz added.  
  
"Tortured Ghosts." Buffy said.  
  
"Kidestod." Willow added, looking at Buffy.  
  
"The child killer!" Lupin exclaimed. "You've faced it?"  
  
"She not only faced, she slayed." Xander said proudly.  
  
"I don't recommend it." Buffy said, "Cause you have to be sick in order to see it."  
  
"The Master."  
  
"Dru and Spike."  
  
"Evil Robots." Oz said and everyone turned to look at Willow, who blushed.  
  
"Evil Snake Demons." Willow said, turning the attention away from her and to Buffy.  
  
"Incan Mummies." Buffy muttered and Xander looked down.  
  
"Ethan Ryane."  
  
"Puppets."  
  
"And our nightmares."  
  
"You've had to face a boggart, before?" Lupin asked.  
  
"Nope." Xander replied, "A young boy had been place in a coma and he was making every nightmare anyone had, had come true, because he was trapped in his own nightmare." They all looked at each other, big smiles on their faces.  
  
"Ahh. The Hellmouth!" they said together, before turning and leaving the room, leaving a very perplexed teacher behind.  
  
That night  
  
Buffy looked around the Great Hall and didn't see her dad or mom, so she went to Snape's room. Knowing the password, she gave it quickly and walked inside.  
  
"I'm blind!" Buffy yelled, turning around and walking right back out.  
  
"Buffy!" Joyce and Snape hollered together, both scrambling to get their clothes back on. They didn't catch up with their daughter though, they just sighed knowing that she had to work out what was going on in her life, without them.  
  
Oliver found Buffy, sitting in the common room, staring into the fireplace.  
  
"Anything you want to talk about?"  
  
"My mom is here." Buffy said  
  
"That's great!" he said and then noticed her expression, "Or not. What's wrong?"  
  
"They're having sex." she said and she caught his look. "I don't care if they have sex, but they were having sex when I walked in. Can we say, something I don't recommend or ever want to see again." shuddering at the mere thought of it. Oliver caught himself before he started laughing.  
  
"So, you're upset, because you walked in on you're parents having sex."  
  
"Well, you'd be emotionally scarred too!" she retorted, already realizing that she should have stayed and listened to what they were going to say. Oliver just laughed at her retort, before offering advice.  
  
"Why don't you just talk to them?" he asked, "I'm sure it emotionally scarred them too." Buffy looked at Oliver and nodded, before getting up and leaving, quickly finding her parents in the Great Hall.  
  
"We need to talk." she said and they both nodded, following her back to Snape's sitting room. "Are you two back together?" she asked bluntly.  
  
"Well," Joyce said, but Snape interrupted her.  
  
"Yes." he replied, he had learned that Buffy would only respect the truth and he wasn't about lose the respect he had gained from her. "We talked and she told me what happened and.."  
  
"You kissed and made up." Buffy replied, "Where does that leave me?"  
  
"What?" Joyce asked, confused as to what her daughter was saying.  
  
"Are you staying?" Buffy asked, "Or are you going to insist that I go back to Sunnydale?"  
  
"I'm staying." Joyce said, "I have a family home not too far from here and I was going to live there."  
  
"Why aren't you living with dad?" Buffy said, "It's obvious that you guys still like each other."  
  
"We didn't want you to feel awkward."  
  
"Story of my life." was Buffy's only reply, "If you want to live together, I say go for it." Joyce looked at her daughter and wondered where her little girl had gone to. "Alright, I'm going to bed." she said, "Thanks for coming, mom." hugging both of her parents she headed for the door.  
  
"Happy Birthday, honey." Joyce said, handing her a card and a box, sending her on her way. Buffy looked at the box and wondered what was in it. Quicky making her way back to the common room, she stepped inside and noticed no one was around yet. Smiling, she took a seat and opened her mom's present. Inside was a photo album, on the front cover was a picture of Buffy, Willow, and Xander, laying on her bed. Opening it up, she went through each picture, crying when she reached the last one, because it was a picture of Angel and Buffy.  
  
That's how Oliver found her, when he walked into the room and few minutes later.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked and noticed the photo album. Buffy shook her head and more tears fell from her eyes. Oliver's heart broke with each tear that fell from her eyes and without thinking, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, a kiss meant to sooth the hurt away, rather than entice.  
  
The sound of the picture opening, made them realize that people were entering the room. Oliver and Buffy quickly moved apart, both of them blushing slightly.  
  
"Thank you." Buffy said, laughing when he raised his eyebrow, "For helping." she clarified for him. Oliver smiled at her laugh and nodded, settling back into a chair and simply enjoying her company.  
  
"So, Buffster." Xander said, stepping into the room, "How was your birthday?"  
  
"It just got better." she said, catching Oliver's eyes and giving him a wink. "I think I'm gonna hit the sack. Night guys."  
  
"Want help being tucked in?" Xander said, a mischevious sparkle in his eyes.  
  
"Nope, I'm a big girl." she replied, giving Oliver a reassuring smile about Xander. 


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings or anything else, but me.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry that it took so long to update!!! Realize my bad! Harry got a Firebolt not another Nimbus.. So I'll be fixing that!  
  
Chapter 15  
  
"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow" Oliver said, pacing the length of the room, after their quidditch practice, "Unless- Harry, Buffy, you haven't sorted your dementor problems out, have you?"  
  
"Yeah." Buffy and Harry said together, Harry thinking of his pitiful excuse for a Patronus, while Buffy thought of her pretty black leopard.  
  
"Dumbledore won't let the dementors near the field, Oliver." Fred pointed out.  
  
"Let's hope not." Wood replied, he didn't know how much more Buffy could take of rehashing her past before she snapped. "Anyway, good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower, we've gotta.."  
  
"Turn in early." Buffy finished for him and everyone started to laugh. "We know, O wise leader."  
  
"Actually, Ron wanted to ride the Firebolt, so I'm gonna stay her for a bit." Harry told them, as the rest of the team made their way to the tower.  
  
"I want a shower." Buffy said, looking down at her sweat covered clothes, "I must smell horribly."  
  
"You don't smell." Oliver told her and Buffy flushed.  
  
"You're sweet." Buffy told him, "A terrible liar, but sweet." The words brought back a tidal wave of memories that were not as painful as they used to be. Buffy sighed, ever since she had faced the dementors her memories had been closer to the top, the good as well as the bad.  
  
"What was the heavy sigh for?" Oliver asked as they walked into the tower and into the common area.  
  
"Are you making Buffy sigh already, Oliver?" Xander asked and Oliver flushed bright red from the comment while Buffy sent Xander a glare that sent him scurrying behind Willow.  
  
"Don't hide behind me, hyena boy." Willow told him, "you made your bed, now sleep in it."  
  
"Oh, come on Will, don't be like that." Xander protested and then tacked on as an afterthought, "And I didn't make my bed." Buffy started to laugh, her laughter so infectious, that everyone else was soon joining in.  
  
"Thanks guys, I needed that." she told them and made her way to her room, "I'm gonna go shower and then it's off to patrol for me."  
  
"Uh, Buff," Xander said, "I may not have been here that long, but aren't the showers the other way?"  
  
"Yes, but I need clothes to change into," Buffy replied and Xander looked thoughtful.  
  
"Highly overrated." he told her and they began to laugh again. Oliver looked on and realized just how much Buffy needed her friends to keep her grounded and sane.  
  
"Remember, full moon." Oz reminded her, "you might want to take the tranq gun."  
  
"You aren't planning to get loose are you?" she asked, silently adding Lupin onto the question.  
  
"Nah, but you never know when you're going to meet one." Oz told her, communicating that no one had seen Lupin that day.  
  
"Thanks." she told him and went back up to the room, calling down, "Can someone get the gun from Giles?"  
  
"I'll do it." Willow said, "I was gonna go over with Oz anyways." Willow and Oz got up and left the room, leaving a pondering Hermione behind, while the rest of the group went about preparing for bed or class the next day.  
  
Forbidden Forrest  
  
Buffy walked cautiously through the forest, she knew that wolf-Lupin was wandering around the forest looking for something yummy to eat, like her. She twisted her head around when she heard a snap, peering into the darkness for the being that made the noise, but only crickets greeted her.  
  
"Great, way to jump." she muttered to herself, turning around to walk further into the forest, when she saw brown fur running towards her. Reacting instinctively, she jumped up, cocking the tranq gun and shooting at the form as it ran underneath her, hitting it on the shoulder. It went down, skidding from the momentum of the rush and then lumbered to it's feet, turning on Buffy and rushing back towards her.  
  
"Why don't they ever stay down on the first shot?" she asked, pointing the gun and giving off another shot, the werewolf going down hard, before trying to lumber back to it's feet and then collapsing.  
  
"Took you long enough." she muttered, approaching the werewolf carefully, nudging it with her foot. "Great." she sighed, bending to pick up the werewolf, with the intention to bring him back to the castle.  
  
"You didn't have to get me a gift." a soft, aristocratic feminine voice said. Buffy whirled around facing the way that the voice had come, her stance shifting with ease into a fighting stance.  
  
"He's not for you." Buffy said firmly, moving to stand in front of Lupin, glaring at the woman in front of her, who was in a red sheathed dress that v-ed in the front, her blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders.  
  
"But you are." she stated firmly, moving closer to Buffy, who was starting to feel like a caged lion that they had caught in the wilderness.  
  
"No."  
  
"But you are, my key." the woman hissed, leaping at Buffy only to give out a startled yelp when Anlon landed between them, stopping her advance. "Move."  
  
"I will not." Anlon stated firmly, "Get out of here." he told Buffy, not wishing to name her, should the Goddess not know the name already. Buffy looked at Anlon, realizing that the Goddess was afraid of him for some reason and was backing up away from him trying not to make it noticeable. Nodding Buffy grabbed a hold of Lupin and apparented to a room in the basement of Hogwarts that was werewolf friendly, with a noticeable pop.  
  
"You can't protect her forever!"  
  
"I need not." he acknowledged, "only for the next couple of months and then she is useless to you."  
  
"You are not with her all of the time." the Goddess accused, trying to break through Anlon's self-confidence.  
  
"I need not be." he replied and left it at that, watching the Goddess move away from him. "You may be immune, just remember He is not." Anlon took off into the air, leaving the Goddess to her thoughts.  
  
Room in the Basement  
  
Willow read quietly to Oz through the door that separated them. She could hear him roaming around, looking for a way to escape so that he could have a tasty Willow treat.  
  
"Ahh!" Willow screamed when Buffy suddenly appeared next to her. "Would you stop doing that?" she besieged, before noticing that Buffy was holding wolf- Lupin and gave a little shriek, moving away from her.  
  
"Could you open one of the doors?" Buffy asked anxiously as she felt Lupin begin to stir. Willow quickly opened the door and Buffy laid Lupin in the room, before slamming the door shut behind her, just as he woke up and tried to pounce on her again, only to fall back down to the ground as the drug worked it's way out of his system.  
  
"Do you shoot every werewolf you meet?" Willow asked teasingly.  
  
"No," Buffy replied with a huge smile on her face, "only the good looking ones."  
  
"Only the good looking ones what?" Oliver asked stepping into the dungeon.  
  
"Get to meet my dad." Buffy said, laughing as Oliver cringed at the mention of Snape. "Not to mention my mother." Willow and Buffy laughed even harder when Oliver turned a ghostly white. Ever since her birthday one of her parents would find some reason to talk to him and it usually ended with his life being threatened should he harmed her. "Where's Giles?"  
  
"He's waiting for you." Oliver told her, "he sent me to check and see if you had returned yet."  
  
"And what were you doing with Giles?" Buffy asked, wiggling her eyebrows, causing Willow to go off into another fit of laughter as Oliver turned so red that the Weasley's would have felt proud. "That's so cute."  
  
"I always knew that you could make a cute boy speechless, you had it in you." Willow said, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye, "my little slayer is all grown up." Buffy and Willow went off into a fit of laughter, while Oliver glared at them, before jumping when one of the werewolf's rushed the door.  
  
"Jumpy?" Buffy asked innocently.  
  
"I thought that Oz was the only one?"  
  
"You know better."  
  
"You found him then?"  
  
"Of course, did you doubt me?" she asked, wanting to see his reaction. He shook his head and turned to leave the room, offering his arm. "Oh a gentleman, how rare a find!" Oliver shook his head again, laughing softly, before leading Buffy to Giles' room, where he was waiting to hear how the night's patrol went.  
  
"And?" Giles asked trailing the word off so that it was a question.  
  
"Safe and sound.." Buffy told him and then added, "And unconscious." Giles winced and looked at her with a stern look. "What! It wasn't like he gave me much of a choice. He chased after me, of course I could have given him to Glory."  
  
"Buffy, you must realize that you can't shoot every were.." Giles began his lecture, "Glory?" the horror growing, "As in indestructible God?"  
  
"Ya that would be the one." she replied, sitting down in one of the chairs.  
  
"What God?" Oliver asked looking slightly confused, until he remembered the research that they had done the week before. "Her?"  
  
"Yes." she said, "Although she wouldn't come within ten feet of me when Anlon showed up."  
  
"What?" Oliver asked, "I thought she was an indestructible being, why would she be afraid of Anlon?" Buffy shrugged and Giles looked perplexed, taking his glasses off and chewing, thoughtfully, on the end of them.  
  
"This requires research." Giles told them and Buffy began to feel better, knowing that her watcher would get to the bottom of everything. Getting up from her seat, she turned and left the room, Oliver following her example.  
  
"Would you have told me that you saw Glory if I hadn't been there?" Oliver asked frightened that Buffy didn't feel that she could trust anyone.  
  
"I don't want to worry anyone needlessly." Buffy told him and Oliver looked at her with a shocked look on his face.  
  
"Buffy, we care about you," Oliver told her, "I care about you. What happens to you matters to me!" he walked off before Buffy could say anything else, leaving her standing in the corridor by herself a bit perplexed. Walking to her parents room, she tapped on the door to let them know that she was back from patrol and then made her way to the tower, slipping into her bed and falling asleep.  
  
Morning  
  
"Get up!" Willow told her, shaking the slayer and then jumping back as she came awake with a start, ready to fight. "Why is that always your first instinct?"  
  
"Cause I'm the slayer." Buffy told her sleepily trying to go back to sleep.  
  
"You need to get up, we gotta teach that class today." Willow reminded her and Buffy cracked one eye open and looked at her. Willow smiled gently and nodded, Buffy jumped out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom, muttering about Dumbledore and his early classes.  
  
"Who do we have first?" Buffy asked as they made their way to the room that Dumbledore had given them. They had worked hard on the room, putting mats around the room on the floor, placing various weapons on the wall, only to be taken down by one of them and the rest of the room was bare.  
  
"Gryffindor." Willow told her and Buffy smiled, maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all, "And Slytherin." Buffy's smile immediately dropped, until she realized that the Slytherin Prince was her friend, of sorts, he would keep his housemates in line or she would just use them as her examples.  
  
"That's okay, we can use the Slytherin's to show the rest of the students what we expect them to do." Buffy told her with an evil grin on her face, causing Willow to burst out laughing. They sat at the front of the class as the students entered the class, laughing when the Slytherins gave them an evil glare, while Draco glared at their glaring.  
  
"Alright guys," Buffy said, "form a circle." she waited until they had formed the circle a big gap between the Slytherins and Gryfindors. "This is the new class that everyone is required to take. Willow will be teaching wandless magic half of the time and the other half I will be teaching defense moves. Any questions?"  
  
"Why you?" one of the Slytherins asked.  
  
"I figured that would have been all of school by now." Buffy said in surprise, "I'm the slayer."  
  
"What's a slayer?" one of the first years asked.  
  
"Into every generation there is one with the strength and courage to fight the forces of darkness. She is the slayer." Willow said and they both laughed.  
  
"I fight evil."  
  
"Then why are the Slytherins here?" Fred asked and the Gryfindors burst out laughing.  
  
"They are just misled, not completely evil." Buffy pointed out.  
  
"I will be teaching wandless magic, now.." Willow began and was cut off.  
  
"You can't do magic without a wand." someone said snottily.  
  
"Sure you can." Willow replied levitating the student that had spoken and then continued on, the student still in the air, "You have to have emotional control and be able to focus." she set the student down, "But I won't be teaching you to do that. I will be teaching you protection spells in case you get caught without your wand, or it is somehow broken."  
  
"Where did Dumbledore find you people?" Buffy heard one of the students mutter under his breath.  
  
"Well," Buffy said as though the rest of the class had heard the question, "he found us on the mouth of Hell."  
  
"What is the mouth of Hell?"  
  
"Exactly what it sounds like." Willow said and got a glare for it. "It's a place were all magic converges and everything is drawn to it, all sorts of creatures. But because it is a convergences it is close to the dimension of Hell and can be opened in certain spots."  
  
"Has it ever opened?"  
  
"Yea." Buffy said, "Twice."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Well, I died the first time and then killed the evil vampire, sealing the Hellmouth closed again." Buffy told them, laughing at the gasps went around the room, "And the second time we killed the demons that were trying to open it."  
  
"I thought slayers were supposed to keep their identiy a secret and not have friends or anything like that."  
  
"We didn't give her much choice." Willow reassured them, "First day there, we lost a friend and discovered Buffy and Giles talking in the library about it, since that day we've stuck by her side."  
  
"Have you fought any famous vampires?" Hermione asked while Willow and Buffy shared a look.  
  
"Who do you consider famous?" Buffy asked interested.  
  
"The Master!"  
  
"William the Bloody!" Draco shouted and then smirked when Willow looked at him curiously.  
  
"Dracula!" and on they went as Willow and Buffy silently where laughing.  
  
"Angelus." Oliver said quietly knowing that Buffy would hear him. She inhaled sharply and looked directly at him.  
  
"Ya," Buffy said, "I've fought some of them. The Master was who killed me and then I killed him."  
  
"But the book says that he lives in an underground cave trapped." Hermione told her.  
  
"The book is wrong." Buffy said a little harshly and Willow immediately took over.  
  
"There was this prophecy that Buffy would fight the Master and she would die." Willow began, "Well, being only sixteen she didn't want to die. Now Buffy hadn't been raised in the normal Council setting and was free wheeled and dangerous, she trusted who she wanted and not who she was told to. Well, she watched as I struggled after a vicious vampire attack and realized that she had to go, it was her destiny. She went into the cave and she faced the Master and she died. Our friend Xander had followed her down and gave her CPR. She came back and she kicked ass, killing the Master."  
  
"I haven't met Dracula." Buffy told them, since the class was still in awe over what they had heard, "But I have fought Spike."  
  
"Whose Spike?"  
  
"William the Bloody." Draco answered smiling at the two girls in the front of the room. Before Willow or Buffy could ask any questions the bell rang and the students left.  
  
"Oliver," Buffy said when she saw him getting to leave, "Can we talk?"  
  
"Not right now," he told her walking towards the door, "I have to get to class." Buffy watched him, with tears glistening in her eyes, as he walked out of the classroom. Willow walked up behind her and pulled her friend into her arms.  
  
"How come I wasn't invited to the group hug?" Xander asked, immediately Willow and Buffy opened their arms and Xander walked into them.  
  
"I've gotta talk to Giles." Buffy said and the other two let her go watching as she fled the room, rushing past a barely awake Oz.  
  
"What's going on?" 


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings or anything else, but me.  
  
Author's Note: I wanna thank everyone that reviewed my pretty story! Just wanted to say thanks. Sorry it took so long, but I hope it was worth the wait!  
  
Chapter 16  
  
"Oliver!" Buffy hollered following him through the school corridors, she realized that he was avoiding her and she thought she knew, but he wouldn't let her explain, he just avoided her. The slayer put her determined face on and chased after the Gryfindor keeper knowing that he didn't have anything on her slayer speed and he must have realized it too, because he stopped and turned to face her.  
  
"Buffy." He replied calmly, as though he hadn't been avoiding Buffy for the last week. Everyone stopped and stared, because they had watched from a far and the slayer and the keeper weren't doing too well apart, neither one slept much and their grades were slipping. They slept through their classes, when they went to them, and Giles had actually managed to get a couple of good hits in during their training sessions.  
  
"We need to talk." Buffy informed him, grabbing his arm she pulled him after her, down the corridors and into her room, slamming the door behind them. Oliver watched as she restlessly paced back and forth in front of him, neither of them saying anything. Buffy seemed to be having an internal battle in front of him and Oliver couldn't bring himself to ask if there was anything he could do, because he was afraid. He was terrified that there would be something that he could do to help, something that make his heart break, even more then it already had. He was terrified that she was going to ask him to let her go, so he decided to do the only thing he could, leave.  
  
"If you're not going to say anything, can I go?" he asked in a bored tone, his heart hurting at the raw emotion that was pouring through his body as he gazed at her. The hurt hadn't lessened any during their week apart, if anything it seemed to be getting worse, watching her, seeing her and not being able to hold her was Hell on him and he couldn't take much more of this.  
  
"No!" Buffy yelled, grimacing at the tone that came out, "no. I'm sorry." She said looking at him, "I didn't mean.."  
  
"To hurt me?" Oliver asked, finishing her statement before she could, "When are you going to realize that I care about you?"  
  
"I know you care about me." Buffy said, holding up her hand to stop him from talking, "Could I continue, please?" Oliver noticed the intense look that she had taken and nodded absently, watching the fire sparkle through her eyes, "When I was in Sunnydale, no one really wanted to hear about how much danger I was in. It was like as long as I was there to take care of the bad guys it was okay with them and when I came here, with you.." she trailed off and looked at him, but he was waiting for her to continue, "I just don't know what to do." She said finally, sitting down on her bed in defeat as she waited for him to leave the room, as he had so anxiously expressed to do earlier. Oliver stared at her for a second, taking a moment to absorb what she had just admitted, before his feet carried him to the bed and he was pulling her into his arms.  
  
"I worry about you." He admitted, resting his chin on her head, as she snuggled into his embrace, his back resting against the headboard. "When I heard that Glory had seen you and you hadn't even thought about telling me, I was terrified about what else you hadn't told me."  
  
"That's it." She promised, her arms snaking around his body and pulling him closer to her, as she relaxed into him, "I'm just used to being alone. To not being understood, but to act happy and report when the bad guy is dead." Her voice sounded distant, as though she wasn't really in the room with him, his arms tightened around her, as though to bind her to the here and now. Her memories taking hold of her and bringing back the bittersweet feeling that she had lost when she first got to Hogwarts.  
  
'It's funny,' she thought as she snuggled closer to Oliver, she had never thought that she would find someone to laugh with. Someone that would hold her and let her cry or rage out her feelings. Someone that didn't mind if she was just a girl, she didn't have to be the slayer with him.  
  
"But you're not alone anymore. You don't have to deal with all of this by yourself." He promised, tilting her head up so that she could see the truth in his eyes. He caressed the side of her face, marveling at how soft she was, how smooth her skin was. He was lost in the scent that was uniquely Buffy, vanilla and something else. He wasn't too sure what it was, but it seemed to flare whenever she was feeling a strong emotion, almost like it was part of her.  
  
"I know," she said, "now." She stared at him, his thumb brushing across her lips, before he leaned down, giving her plenty of time to back away, but she didn't and his lips settled against hers in a sweet kiss, one meant to sooth away the hurt of the week. Buffy shifted closer to him, moving her arms to around his neck and pulling him closer, as she opened her mouth under his, her tongue flicking across his lips, begging entrance. Oliver immediately complied, opening his mouth to her, their tongues dueling softly, before breathing became an issue and Oliver pulled back, his forehead resting against hers.  
  
"And don't you forget it." He muttered, before catching her mouth once again, this time he was the one that demanded access into the moist cavern of her mouth, seeking out the unique taste that was Buffy. They explored each other's mouths for long minutes, neither noticing the passing time, as their bodies where finally giving into the toll the week had taken on them and were demanding that the price be paid.  
  
"I won't." she promised, when they had broken the kiss, putting her head back on his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist, letting out a big yawn. "Stay?" she asked sleepily, unaware that her seeker was already asleep, arms wrapped around her holding her to him, as though he were afraid that she would be leaving him at any moment. Smiling, Buffy snuggled closer to him, laying her had back on his chest and closing her eyes, content for the first time in days before she, too, fell into a peaceful sleep.  
  
Great Hall  
  
"Have you seen Buffy?" Snape asked, his question directed towards Joyce and Giles, both shaking their heads negatively. With a frustrated sigh, Snape spun on the heel of his foot and began to stalk out of the Great Hall, making his way towards his daughter's room.  
  
"Is she missing?" Joyce asked, worriedly getting to her feet, following Snape out of the great hall. Neither parent realizing that Giles had followed them out of the Great Hall and with a worried look upon his face.  
  
"She missed my class," he said and Joyce stopped walking and stared after him, until he realized that she was no longer following him and stopped to look at her questioningly.  
  
"Buffy has a tendency to miss class." Joyce pointed out, remembering how hard it was to get the slayer to get up and go to classes after a hard night of slaying. "Maybe she's sleeping?"  
  
"She has never missed my class." Snape told Joyce, who looked a bit shocked at the news, before continuing on his way to Buffy's room, Joyce following him, "Besides we both know that Buffy hasn't been sleeping at all, since the fight with Oliver." Both parents and Giles had been giving the seeker death glares, since they had found out about the fight, Buffy had run, sobbing, into her parents room and collapsed on her mother, telling her everything in a hiccupping voice, and Joyce had, of course, told Snape and Giles. Giving the password to the painting, Snape stepped into the room, Joyce following him right in and running into him when he suddenly stopped, Giles stopping in time so that he didn't actually hit either one. Peeking around Joyce, Giles could clearly see the two forms on the bed and while he was worried about the implications, he was happy that his slayer had finally settled everything out or at least he was hoping. Giles realized that Oliver and Buffy where both still dressed, so it wasn't as bad as it looked and it was more likely that they both fell into an exhausted sleep. Releasing a sigh, Giles turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving Buffy's parents to deal with everything, he would discuss it with Buffy later.  
  
"I'll kill him." Snape said, moving towards the bed, only to be stopped by Joyce, who put a restraining arm on him and pushed him towards the still open door. As Snape left the room, Joyce crossed the room to the bed, looking down at her daughter, who hadn't looked so peaceful in a long time, and pulled a blanket up over the two of them. While she didn't like leaving the two of them alone, anymore than Snape, Joyce realized that Buffy wouldn't rush into anything and the two kids had been sound asleep and fully clothed.  
  
"Is there a reason you are leaving our daughter alone, in bed, with that boy?" Snape asked when Joyce appeared in the hallway, closing the picture softly behind her and asking the picture not to admit anyone else, unless the occupants left the room first.  
  
"Because I trust our daughter." Joyce replied, taking Snape by the arm and pulling him away from their daughter's room and towards their own. "She was fully clothed and sound asleep."  
  
"What is to stop them when they awaken?" Snape asked, frustrated that Joyce was not sharing his concern of their daughter's sex life.  
  
"Buffy." Joyce replied with certainty.  
  
Buffy's Room: Later that Night  
  
Buffy stretched leisurely, as she slowly came to consciousness, turning around to look at Oliver as she all of her memories came back to her. She touched the side of his face softly as she thought about everything that had been settled and everything that hadn't. A slight frown marred her face, as she realized that they still weren't officially going out or anything of the sort, no commitment had been made between the two of them. She also realized that the two of them hadn't considered dating anyone else and it was almost like an unspoken promise between the two of them.  
  
Buffy jerked as she felt the soft brush of Oliver's lips on her hand, as he came awake, and not wishing to startle her, kissed the palm of her hand, which had still be laying on his cheek.  
  
"Hey." He said softly and Buffy smiled at him, leaning down and kissing him on the lips.  
  
"Hi." She replied, grinning like a fool. "so," she began, unsure of how to go with what she wanted to say, what if he didn't want to?  
  
"So." He repeated, looking at Buffy as the candlelight flickered across the room, his breath caught in his throat as he was struck with just how beautiful she was. In that moment, he realized that he wanted a hold on the slayer; he wanted her to be his.  
  
"Would you go out with me?" she blurted out, before her courage got up and ran out the door. Buffy felt her heart sink as Oliver stared at her, "it's okay if you don't wanna." She rushed on, beating down the hurt that she felt starting to move away from Oliver, when Oliver pulled her pulled her back to him catching her mouth in a heated kiss, before pulling away.  
  
"Yea." He replied, "I was just a little shocked that you asked me."  
  
"Well if I waited any longer for you to ask me," Buffy said playfully, a feeling of giddiness passing through her body, "I would be old and wrinkly." Oliver made a swipe for the slayer, who danced backwards, amusement written on her face.  
  
"Buffy?" they heard the muffled voice of Willow through the door.  
  
"Just a minute!" Buffy hollered back, grinning at Oliver, her boyfriend! She ran to the picture and threw it open, revealing Willow, Oz, and Xander on the other side. "Hey!"  
  
"Hey," Willow said, looking past the slayer to Oliver, who was still seated on the bed, "is everything okay?"  
  
"Great!" Buffy replied a huge smile plastered on her face, Willow answered with a smile of her own understanding right away what had happened between the two, while Oz and Xander looked on in confusion, before shrugging and following them into the room.  
  
"And what have you crazy kids been doing?" Xander asked slyly, as they all settled onto the bed, Oliver leaning against the headboard, with Buffy in his arms, Oz and Willow seated next to them and Xander at the foot of the bed.  
  
"Slept." Buffy and Oliver replied at the same time, before looking at each other and laughing.  
  
"Is that what they call it now a days?" Xander said, once again and got hit with a pillow, which he picked up and carefully examined it, before yelling, "Pillow Fight!" Hitting Willow with the pillow, who glared at Xander, before she grabbed another pillow and hit Xander, who went to retaliate, only to have Oz stop him. Buffy and Oliver stared at them for a second, before grabbing their own pillows and joining in the fight. Their shrieks and laughter ringing through the empty halls of Hogwarts.  
  
Giles's Room:  
  
"Dear Lord." He muttered re-reading the letter for the thousandth time, before letting it float to the ground.  
  
'Dear Mr. Giles,  
  
It has come to our attention that your slayer's eighteenth birthday has past and that you did not perform the Cruciamentum. We regret to inform you that you are fired from the Watcher's council. There will be a new watcher sent, please inform the slayer and stay out of his way.  
  
Sincerely, Quinten Travers.' 


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings or anything else, but me.  
  
Author's Note: I wanna thank everyone that reviewed my pretty story! Just wanted to say thanks. Sorry it took so long, but I hope it was worth the wait! Let's see, Some of the lines are taken from an actual Buffy episode, the "How's Forever" and "is he evil?" "Not in the strictest sense no." so that's all. Not mine.  
  
Chapter 17  
  
"What do you mean they fired you?" his slayer yelled pacing back and forth across the room, "I won't work with anyone else, so you can tell the council to take their new watcher and.."  
  
"Buffy Anne Snape!" Joyce exclaimed and watched as her daughter blushed, before shaking it off and pacing the room some more. "I realize you are up set, but just because they fired him, doesn't mean he is leaving Hogwarts." Buffy looked at Giles who nodded and soon found himself with an armful of a happy slayer.  
  
"Buffy, dear girl." Giles said as he hugged his charge back, before pulling slightly back looking at her as he said the next part, "you didn't think I would just leave you, did you?" Buffy looked a bit sheepish refusing to meet Giles' eyes and Giles sighed loudly, "What would ever make you think that?"  
  
"I left you." she stated and at that moment Giles realized that he should have addressed her running away a long time ago, not hope that it would just disappear. It appeared that she was still beating herself up over the fact and having no one address the issue seemed to make it worse for her. Giles sighed as he looked at Buffy unsure of what to say to her to get her to realize that he understood why she had run. Although he didn't know everything that had happened, Buffy had been very tight lipped he had, at least, her end of the conversation to Angelus when they had fought, when Buffy had been in the hospital wing after her first Quidditch game.  
  
"I understand why you left." Giles told her and Buffy looked at him with a look of disbelief and horror crossing her face. Buffy couldn't remember saying anything to her watcher, but she knew that she might have talked in her sleep, she also realized that Oliver and Snape knew a lot more than she wanted them to, ever since she had been in the hospital wing, after her and Harry's accident, "I may not understand everything that has happened, but I understand that you need the space and I'm just happy that you were okay and that nothing had happened to you." Buffy sniffled and hugged Giles once again, "I will be around for as long as you have need for me."  
  
"How 'bout forever?" she said happily, moving to stand by Oliver, who captured her tiny hand in his rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand. Snape glared at the insolent boy who was touching his daughter, Snape realized that he was feeling slightly over protective, but he wanted to do nothing more than to, before he could finish that thought, Buffy interrupted her day dreaming, "So, when is the new watcher due?"  
  
"I haven't the slightest idea." Giles said worriedly. Giles was afraid of what the new watcher would do once he or she had arrived. Giles was well aware of who was still in the Watcher's council and available to be sent to "control" the slayer and what methods might be used. Giles shuddered as he remembered the book he had found describing the "rehabilitation" of the slayer in 1802, it made what Angelus would later do to the slayer child's play.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Giles?" Angel asked hesitantly stepping into the room. Giles turned and faced the vampire that his slayer had affections for. Giles wasn't willing to promote the relationship, but if Angel would keep her alive, he wasn't going to complain. "Can I ask a question?"  
  
"About?" Giles replied, he had been waiting for the day that Angel would ask the question. He was actually dreading it. Giles realized that Angel would connect the watcher's council to the slayer that Angelus would later kill, but he was hoping that Angel would be too guilt ridden to come and confront the watcher about what had happened to her.  
  
"I've been wondering ever since I've met you." Angel started, he could hear Angelus reliving his "glory" years and the death of the slayer, although he knew Angelus was pouting from everything that had been done to the slayer before Angelus had found her. Angelus could smell the drugs they had pumped into the girl, the smell of multiple men on her, and to top it, the smell of other demons on her. "Why?" The slayer had been drugged and then left with several different demons in a room for an entire day. When the watcher's council had finally taken her out of the room, the slayer was naked, cut and bruised, and it looked as though she had been taken roughly. The watcher's had then tortured her, telling her how she was a disgrace to her calling and that she didn't deserve to be the slayer. By the time they had let her go, she had stood there as Angelus drained her, welcoming the black oblivion that came with it.  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Can't I send him back?" Buffy asked, interrupting Giles' thoughts, not ready for the council or their policies. She didn't want to work with anyone but Giles and they couldn't make her. Buffy was pouting on the inside, like a little child and grinned at the thought of Giles having to take care of a three year old slayer. Shaking her head she brought herself back to the present, "And what's this test that you didn't do?"  
  
"I was supposed to step up your training." Giles said, Buffy shot him a look that clearly told him that he should have stepped up the training, that they wouldn't be in this position if that was it. Snape frowned slightly, recalling something of a drug that took a slayer's power away, but he thought the council had stopped using it two hundred years ago, "but while you stared into this crystal, you would go into a trance and I was supposed to inject you with this serum that would strip you of your slayer powers." Buffy, Joyce, and Oliver looked shocked, while Snape looked ready to rip someone's head off, for even thinking about harming his daughter, he knew he should have apparented to the watcher's council and, he drew a blank, but he was the slayer's father! He could do some damage, to them, "Then you were supposed to be locked inside a house with a vampire and see if you survived."  
  
"And I wondered why slayers don't live to see twenty." Buffy commented cursing the Watcher's council for every single slayer that they had helped kill over the years, "If a vampire or demon don't kill them, the council will."  
  
"I thought the test was barbaric and outdated, so I refused to perform it." Giles said and Buffy nodded, Giles didn't want to add what could be done, Snape already looked ready to kill anyone and anything.  
  
"Will this new watcher attempt to perform the test?" Snape asked as the others adsorbed the information being thrown at them, already planning on ways to use the dungeon, he was sure he could make some weapons of torture happen to appear or a few werewolves into the locked room with the entire Watcher's Council, sans Giles of course.  
  
"Maybe." Giles replied he recognized the feral look in Snape's eyes well, it was the look that people told him got when he let Ripper take control, "I really have no way of knowing what this new watcher will do."  
  
"Is there anyway to stop them from performing it?" Buffy asked, Giles shook his head and Snape looked thoughtful.  
  
"Do you have the serum?" Snape asked and Giles nodded, getting up and going into the cabinet returning with a box which he handed to Snape. "I might be able to make an antidote just in case."  
  
"If you find yourself feeling weak, having dizzy spells, tell me immediately." Giles commanded and his slayer nodded. "I suppose the children should get to class then."  
  
"Do I have to?" Buffy whined and her mother smiled that was the daughter she knew. Joyce couldn't get used to the idea of her daughter teaching though, although she had never seen Buffy in action, if she was out there helping people.  
  
"Yes." Snape said, Buffy turned her pout on him and Snape began to wavier, Giles saw this and sighed, knowing what Snape was going through, because Buffy had used her pout on him numerous times trying to get out of training.  
  
"Buffy, go teach your class." Giles shook his head in amazement at what he had just said, he couldn't believe that his slayer was a teacher. Giles also realized that there was no one more qualified to teach the students at Hogwarts how to defend themselves physically, but she would also prepare them mentally for the rigors of the battle's that they might face in their young lives.  
  
"Fine," she said and turned to leave, "but you owe me a cookie." she grabbed Oliver's hand and left the room, making her way to her and Willow's room. Giles smiled as he watched her leave, he knew she wasn't serious, but he was sure the house elves didn't realize that and would have one ready for her.  
  
"Cheer up, love," Oliver whispered in her ear, "we play Ravenclaw tonight." Buffy perked up considerably, she loved the freedom that she got while she was on the broom. She also loved being with Oliver, they had spent time getting to know each other, Buffy telling about her life on the Hellmouth and Oliver describing Scotland to her and promising to bring her there one day. They walked into the classroom to find that most students were attempting to levitate pencils, but only Willow, Malfoy, Harry, and Hermione seemed to be getting it.  
  
"Alright guys," Willow announce interrupting everyone, she had seen Buffy enter the room with Oliver and realized that something big was going on just by the way that Buffy was walking, "please put the pencils down and get ready for the next lesson." the students put the pencil away in their stuff and looked towards Buffy. Willow eyed Oliver who was avoiding Willow like the plague, he wouldn't let her get the information out of him, she would have to ask Buffy for it.  
  
"Alright," she began, "first, get out of your robes, I trust that you are all wearing the shorts and t-shirts?" Buffy looked around the room and almost smirked at the sight of so many students in Hogwart's t-shirts and shorts, Buffy withheld her smirk and continued on, "Take all of your stuff off the mats, I don't want to see a single wand anywhere on my mats, you got that?" the students nodded, slightly afraid of what the tiny blonde was going to make them do, "Now, get into a circle,"the students did as she asked and then came back and formed a circle. "Now I want you to find a partner," the class began to divide into Slytherin and Gryffindor, "with the other house."  
  
"But they're Gryffindors!" "But they're Slytherins!" was shouted at the same time and Buffy began to laugh.  
  
"Not Gryffindors/Slytherins." Buffy began, "I know that you are unused to cooperating with different houses, but you will be leaving all of that stuff at the door or you will find yourself on your ass." The group grumbled some more, but quickly paired off into groups of two, although they stood as far apart as they could. "Now, we are going to stretch, so follow my led." Buffy led them through a series of easy warmups, before pulling Willow forward. The two girls had already planned out what they were going to do for the lesson that day. "You are going to practice throwing a punch and your partner is going to practice deflecting the punch." Buffy and Willow demonstrated what they wanted to see and then let the students at it, walking around the room and instructing.  
  
"Well, this is the most unlikely pair ever." Buffy commented as she came up to Malfoy's group, "I thought I told you to grab a Gryffindor partner."  
  
"Did you?" Malfoy said with a sneer, "I thought it was a suggestion." Buffy kicked his legs out from under him and he went sprawling to the ground.  
  
"And I also said that you would wind up on your ass if you did." Buffy said, "Pay attention next time Mr. Malfoy." looking around the room she spotted another pair of just Gryffindor's and motioned one of them over, trading the other Slytherin off, "There you go." she said pleasantly, "I know how hard it is for you to think, I'll just make sure to make a special arrangement for you next class." Buffy smirked at Malfoy and began to walk away, before turning back to look at Malfoy, as an afterthough, "And you keep dropping your shoulder." Malfoy had expected Buffy to kick him out of the room, not drop him on his butt. Buffy had surprised him, not even taking away points when Malfoy had, essentially, mouthed off to a teacher. Malfoy watched as Buffy made her way around the room, he vowed that he would find out what was going on with her and that when he did, his father would find out, until then he would keep his mouth shut.  
  
The students watched in awe as the tiny blonde sent Malfoy sprawling to the ground and then lecture him about it. Most of the Slytherins were thinking that once Lucius Malfoy found out, that Buffy wouldn't be teaching there anymore, but the rest of the students knew that Malfoy had deserved it and if she wanted, Buffy could have done worse and were very welcome to do it, they wouldn't mind. The bell rang shortly after that and the class filed out, Malfoy curious glances at Buffy, who just smiled and waved, wondering what Malfoy was up to.  
  
"Are you ready for the game?" Buffy asked Harry as his group walked by. Hermione groaned as Harry and Ron became excited by the thought about talking about their favorite sport.  
  
"Yea." he replied grinning wildly, he had been practicing the spell ever night, along with the techniques that Buffy had been teaching him. Ever so slowly, his patronus was beginning to form and take shape, the puff of silver smoke becoming bigger, almost taking the shape of an animal, "I wanted to thank you for the help you've been giving."  
  
"No big." Buffy replied, "Besides, someone needed to." she said with a wink, ruffling his hair Harry protested loudly and the group laughed at their antics. She followed the group of the room and to the Great Hall for lunch, where she saw a young man dressed in tweed sitting next to Giles.  
  
"Miss Snape if you could come up here." Dumbledore asked and Buffy walked forward, wondering if she was about to get a knife thrown at her once again, like Merrick had done, the man certainly didn't look like he could thrown one though.  
  
"Ahh, Miss Snape, it's a pleasure to meet you." he held out his hand, but Buffy just looked at him, "I am Mr Wesley Windam-Price, your new watcher." Buffy looked over to Giles.  
  
"Is he evil?"  
  
"I can assure you that I am not evil." "Not in the strictest sense, no." Buffy looked between the two men and sighed. Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them as he realized that Buffy was not going to cooperate in any way with Wesley.  
  
"Is there something you wanted?" Buffy asked coldly, sizing the man in front of her up, knowing immediately why the council had sent him, because he was the prodigy of what every watcher should be.  
  
"You patrolled last night, no?" Wesley asked and Buffy nodded slowly wondering if she was going to have to give an account of what happened. "And?"  
  
"Vampire."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I dusted him." she could see that she was clearly annoying him, but she couldn't bring herself to care, instead she focused her attention on Giles. "They fought with swords, they had these jewels on them. I kept one, so I'll bring it to you later." she walked away and to her group of friends leaving a very flustered Wesley behind and a grinning table of teachers.  
  
Hagrid's: Care of Magical Creatures  
  
"We have a special treat today," Hagrid announced as the group came before them.  
  
"You're leaving?" Malfoy muttered under his breath and his lackeys let out a shout of laughter that was cut short as Buffy glared at them.  
  
"Buffy has managed to convince a Gryffin to visit us today!" Hagrid said and chatter immediately started, everyone wondering how Buffy had managed to get a Gryffin to come to Hogwarts. The entire class, except for Hagrid and Buffy and her Scooby Gang, took a step back as Anlon landed in the field.  
  
"Everyone, this is Anlon." Buffy said introducing her friend to her classmates, "Anlon this is everyone." Anlon bowed his head in greeting to the class, as excited murmurs rippled through the assembled students. "Anyone got questions?"  
  
"Why are you here at Hogwarts?"  
  
"I am guarding a most precious treasure." Anlon stated amused at the first question asked.  
  
"What?" "Where?"  
  
"I cannot say." Anlon replied, "How would I guard the treasure if everyone where to know where and what it was?" the group nodded understanding, but wanting to go treasure hunting through the grounds of Hogwarts. "I am sure that Professor Dumbledore would appreciate that you don't wander through the halls looking for a treasure you will never find." the students groaned and wondered briefly if he could read their minds.  
  
"I read somewhere that Griffins are from India." Hermione stated and Anlon looked at her.  
  
"While there are some of my brethren there, we are not from a certain country." Anlon told her and Hermione looked confused, because she had read the book!  
  
"Then where are you from?" Ron asked curiously, amazed that there was something that Hermione did not know.  
  
"I am not from around here." he replied and everyone looked confused, "I am not of this reality. My family settled here when a favor was requested from us by Professor Dumbledore." The class took this in, questions running abound through their heads, but they were afraid of the answers that they might receive from their questions.  
  
"How did Buffy talk you into coming here?" Malfoy asked, "How did she know where to find you?"  
  
"Buffy is the slayer." Anlon replied, "All she need do is let her awareness expand and she can feel all the magical creatures for miles." the class shifted their gaze to Buffy who was shifting uncomfortably from all the attention.  
  
Quidditch Pit  
  
"Mount your brooms in three.. two.. one!" the shrill whistle blew and Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were in the air.  
  
"And they're off. The big excitement of the game is the Firebolt that Harry is flying for Gryffindor." Jordan excitedly said, "Rumor has it that the Firebolt is going to be broom of choice in the World Championship.."  
  
"Jordan!" McGonagall said sternly, "Do you mind sticking with this game?" Jordan flushed and went back to the commentary.  
  
"Just giving a little background, Professor." Jordan complained and saw McGonagall shoot him an exasperated look. "Now, the Firebolt is made of.." "Jordan!" the Professors yelled and Jordan flushed, holding his hands up in surrender.  
  
"Jeez, okay, okay." Jordan said, "Gryffindor has possession, Buffy Summers heading for a goal.." Buffy made her way towards the opposite end of the field, followed by Fred and George who were clearing bludgers and the other team out of her way. She fake shot, instead throwing the waffle back at George, who looked a little confused as to what was going on.  
  
"Throw it in, George!" Oliver hollered from the other end of the field and George came out of his daze, throwing it through the hop.  
  
"Gryffindor scores!" Jordan proclaimed, "Potter has seen the snitch." Harry could see the glitter of the snitch above him and gave chase, seeing it near the ground, he headed into a dive.  
  
"Harry!" Buffy hollered and Harry veered out of the path of the bludger just in time, but he had lost sight of the snitch. Looking around the field, he could see George hit the second bludger at the Ravenclaw responsible for the other bludger, making her roll in midair out of the way. Harry saw the snitch streak behind Fred and began to follow it, only to be cut off by Cho.  
  
"Harry! This is no time to be a gentleman!" Oliver hollered and earned a glare from his girlfriend, "Knock her off her broom!" Harry ignored Oliver and flew upwards, out of the way of the bludgers and the rest of the game, looking for the snitch. He saw something behind him and realized that Cho was following him. Smiling to himself, he dived forward promising that she would have a jolly chase if she wanted to follow him.  
  
Buffy watched Harry and Cho dive and realized that, although, he didn't see the snitch, he was attempting to shake Cho.  
  
"Fred!" Buffy hollered getting the beater's attention, pointing to where Harry and Cho were. Fred looked confused at first, until he caught onto Buffy's hand signal's realizing that she wanted him to hit the bludger towards Harry and Cho to break them apart. Grinning widely he did just that and watched as the bludger took off straight towards the two of them, just as Harry spotted the snitch again and took off into the air. The bludger continued forward, nearly grazing Cho, who moved out of the way and lost sight of Harry and the snitch.  
  
Buffy saw something move on the side lines, she didn't sense dementors, but whomever it was, was dressed like them. Deciding that they needed a good scare, Buffy took out her wand and yelled,  
  
"Expecto patronum!" But it wasn't just her voice that could be heard, Harry's was mixed in with hers, she watched in amusement as a panther moved across the sky towards the "dementors" along with the silver from Harry's wand, which was starting to shape like a Stag. Buffy heard the whistle as Harry caught the snitch and flew down to where the "dementors" where.  
  
"Did you see?" Harry asked excitedly as he got off his broom and approached Buffy and Lupin. "The dementors didn't effect me at all! I didn't feel a thing!" Buffy and Lupin exchanged glances.  
  
"Harry," Lupin said carefully, as Buffy hauled up the three dementors, "They weren't dementors." Yanking off the hoods, Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabb could be seen.  
  
"A dirty trick!" McGonagall announced, "I shall be speaking with Professor Dumbledore about this! Make no mistake! There shall be a punishment!" the boys cringed back, "Here he comes now!" As Dumbledore took the boys aside, Buffy and Harry were pulled into the mass of Gryffindor students, all expressing what a great job they had done.  
  
"Come on, guys." Ron said, "Party in Gryffindor Tower." Ron started to pull them towards the Tower, but Buffy was caught by another person and pulled into the bottom part of the stands.  
  
"Great job." Oliver said leaning down and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. Buffy melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. Her hand played with the silky hair that she encountered, as his hands spanned her waist and moved around to her back, pulling her closer and fitting her to his body.  
  
"Thanks." she replied when they finally came up for air.  
  
"Buffy?" they heard Willow call out.  
  
"I'm sure she's fine." Oz stated, smelling both Oliver and Buffy under the stands and not wanting to see how they would find them, pulled his red-head towards the tower, "I'm sure she'll be joining us in the Tower any minute." Buffy flushed against Oliver as she realized that Oz knew that the two of them were there and thought they were doing more than kissing.  
  
"What?" Oliver asked, when he felt her skin temperature rise when Buffy buried her head in the side of his neck.  
  
"Nothing." she mumbled, her warm breath tickling his skin and causing him to break out in goosebumps.  
  
"What?" he asked again, tipping her head back. "You can tell me anything."  
  
"Oz knows were here." Buffy mumbled.  
  
"So?" Oliver said, not knowing where Buffy was going with that.  
  
"So," Buffy said, "he thinks we are doing more than kissing." She waited for a second for her words to sink in and laughed when Oliver turned a delightful shade of red. "See! It's embarrassing."  
  
"Well," Oliver said carefully, "things will never be dull with Oz around." 


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings or anything else, but me.  
  
Author's Note: I am so pissed off! I had my entire story typed out! The entire thing, all of it! And the computer told me it didn't like me anymore and wouldn't read the file so I lost it! So I had to re-type everything! Grrrr!  
  
I am looking for a beta. Mine has left me.. (little crying.. alright a lot of crying!).. So if anyone feels up to the job of correcting my horrible typing ability, contact me, please! alwaysanangelgurlyahoo.com  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Xander blurry opened his eyes, staring at the man in front of him. It took Xander a few seconds to realize that there was really a man there. Xander was about to ask him what he was doing there, when Xander noticed the glint as the man's arm moved and realized that the man was holding a knife. Rolling off the bed, Xander became entangled in his sheets.  
  
"Oz!" Xander hollered out as he kicked the sheets away from him, struggling to put more distance between him and the man with the knife. "Wake up! There's a man in our room." Oz woke at the first sound of his name, rolling out of bed and on his feet in seconds. Grabbing Xander, the two boys rushed out of their room and towards the girls' room.  
  
"Scoobies!" they hollered and ran into the room, slamming the door behind them. They leaned heavily against the closed portrait, as the two girls clutched their blankets to them, looking sleepily at the two boys who had invaded their room.  
  
"Oz!" "Xander!" Willow and Buffy yelled at the same time, the confusion in their voices noticeable, before anxiety of what could have happened settled throughout the air. Buffy and Willow anxious at what would cause the boys to come into their room, while Xander and Oz anxious about what had just happened. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Man.." pant "knife.." wheeze "our room.." panted Xander, trying to explain everything, but was too out of breath for anything else.  
  
"Alright." Buffy commented, moving towards the portrait. After moving the boys, Buffy opened the portrait and started across the common room, before realizing the person could be in the room. Making sure to keep her back to the portrait, Buffy moved silently along the wall, checking all the cracks and cervices of the walls, before moving into the room. She checked under the sofas and tables and in some places that only a first year student would fit, but she found nothing. Eyeing the boys' portrait, she made her way towards the room, not making a sound. "Werewolf." The portrait swung open and Buffy entered the room.  
  
Willow and Buffy's Room  
  
"I don't think we should have let her go out there by herself." Willow stated, looking at the two boys who were sitting on her bed, "What if something happens to her?"  
  
"She's the slayer." Xander replied, his belief that Buffy was a superhero, still installed. "She has the supernatural power kick and everything. She's a superhero."  
  
"She's just a girl." Willow said sharply, she sometimes forgot that Buffy was just a girl. She remembered first meeting Buffy and how strong she was, but she also remembered the Buffy that cried and laughed and got hurt. She had looked up to Buffy for a long time, but when Buffy had gotten sick and put in the hospital, it had really hit home that Buffy was as human as the rest of them, although it didn't seem to have hit home for Xander. Oz had an easier time of making the connection, because of being a werewolf.  
  
"She has strength and finesse and healing power." Xander shot right back, he didn't want to believe that Buffy could die or get hurt. He knew what the prophecy said about one girl in all the world, but not Buffy, she would live to a ripe old age, would retire from being the slayer.  
  
"One girl in all the world." Oz said, "One dies and another is called." He waited for this to sink into Xander's head, "None of us want to admit it, but we all know it. We have all always known it."  
  
"And we reacted accordingly," Willow replied, the boys looked at her in confusion, "We knew she went out every night, but we still expected her to do everything else, homework, have a social life, we wanted her to have a normal life. We forced her to be normal and it almost killed her. We haven't completely supported her. We watched her go out and we hoped she would come back, but we never asked her about the things she hunts and if she wants help. We let her fight everything and after it's done, we force her to do normal things. We are killing her by trying to make her normal and she is letting us do it."  
  
"She's the slayer." Xander replied weakly.  
  
"Exactly." Willow replied, "We should have supported her in her relationship with Angel, not criticized her every movement with it. She was hurt by all the comments you made, Xander, but she pushed it aside and remained your friend, choosing to hide that aspect of her life from you." Willow paused and let her words sink in, "she shouldn't have to hide anything from us, but she has. When she was sick or hurt, we didn't want to know, we just wanted to know when the evil was killed, so we could force her to be normal."  
  
Oz and Xander's Room  
  
Buffy waited until the door closed behind her, before making her way along the wall. She could see clearly into the darkness and didn't see anything that stood out. After checking all the cracks around the room, Buffy made her way to the beds. Starting with Xander's she could see the holes the knife left on his bed. Checking underneath she found nothing and moved on to Oz's. She didn't find anything wrong with Oz's bed and moved on towards the wardrobes.  
  
Buffy and Willow's Room  
  
"So," Xander said, "we shouldn't expect her to date someone with a pulse?"  
  
"That's exactly the comments I'm talking about." Willow replied, "Do you know how cut up she was by those types of comments? Put yourself in her shoes. You are a fifteen year old girl and you have been called as a slayer. Your parents are fighting all the time and are getting a divorce. You were once the most popular girl in school, but because of being called, you have to give up your social life and train. You fight the big scary vampire and your watcher is killed. You burn down the school to save the students and get kicked out." She paused to catch her breath, letting Xander formulate everything in his head, "Your mom moves you to a new town, which sits on the mouth of Hell. You arrive, only to find a dead guy in a locker and your new watcher is the librarian. You meet a guy, who is nice and charming and already knows you are the slayer. You find out about a prophecy which says you are going to die. You die and come back. You date the said guy, who turns out to be a vampire. Your best friend makes cutting remarks about said guy, calling him deadboy and telling you that you should date someone with a pulse." Xander winced slightly, understanding now what point Willow had been trying to make and was still making to him, "Who makes you feel normal, like he won't break if you hug him too hard, who you can loose yourself in. You sleep with said vampire and he loses his soul. He kills your friends and watcher's girlfriend, your mother kicks you out of the house. Before you have to send the souled version to Hell, to save the world, and you have no place to go. And to top it all, your friends are trying to force you to fit into a certain social scheme. How would you react?"  
  
Xander and Oz's room  
  
Buffy opened the first wardrobe, wand in hand, only to find nothing but clothes and a moth or two. Making her way over to the other wardrobe, she opened it and found nothing in there either. Making her way back into the common room, she opened the portrait,  
  
"Nothing," she said and eyed the people in the room, they looked in deep thought. "No reason to worry now. Looks like whoever it was, is long gone." She watched the people in front of them, they looked as though they were told a friend had died or that she wouldn't be coming back, "Why the long faces?" Willow rushed and hugged her, followed by Xander. Buffy looked to Oz, who was his usual stoic self, in question, he merely shrugged. "Uhm.. not that I'm not enjoying the moment, but we need to contact Dumbledore."  
  
"Dumbledore's Room!" Buffy hollered throwing some Floo powder into the fireplace, before sticking her head through. "PROFESSOR!" she waited a heartbeat, listening for any sound, "PROFESSOR!" she heard him stumble and she thought she heard him curse, but brushed it off, it was Dumbledore after all.  
  
"Yes?" he asked sleepily, tying his robe around him, his red and gold slippers peeking out.  
  
_'Guess that answers that question._' Buffy thought as she eyed the man, who had obviously been asleep. '_Hermione is gonna be so jealous.'_ Buffy had just answered the question that everyone had been wondering for years and she couldn't wait to tell Hermione and company.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt your sleep," Buffy said sweetly, before getting down to business, "But someone got into our room tonight." Dumbledore looked at her sharply, nodding abruptly and Buffy pulled her head back through. Dumbledore sighed deeply, before Flooing into the common room.  
  
"Alright," Dumbledore said, "what happened?" he listened as Xander went through his story, followed by Oz. "Stay here."  
  
"I've already looked, Headmaster." Buffy told him and Dumbledore nodded. He trusted Buffy enough that if she hadn't found anything, than neither would he, but he wanted to look and see if any magic had been used on the room itself. "There's no one in there."  
  
"Thank you, child," he told her and Buffy nodded, Dumbledore understood she was the slayer, but, like her father and watcher, wanted nothing more than to protect her from everything and anything dangerous, "but you should have waited to alert me."  
  
"But the only fireplace hooked up the Floo network is the one in the common area," Buffy stated logically, although that hadn't been the reason she had checked earlier, but it gave Dumbledore paused at this, "I would have had to enter a dark, unlit room that anyone could be hidden in, anyways." Dumbledore nodded at this logic, but still managed to give her a disapproving glance. They, her father, watcher, and Dumbledore, had decided that the common area should be the only one hooked up to the Floo network and even that was protected, so that you had to be on the approved list in order to Floo in.  
  
"I want to take a look and see if the person used any types of spells on the portraits or anything in the room."  
  
"Like a portkey!" Willow exclaimed and Dumbledore nodded to her, the child really should have been in Ravenclaw. The group watched as Dumbledore entered the room, cautiously, as though he were expecting a magical attack and there might have been one waiting, none of them had been trained for that type of magic, although Buffy seemed to have a knack of sensing any type of magic.  
  
"I need to contact Dad," Buffy said, knowing how much trouble she would be in if she didn't contact her father shortly, "and Giles." Ever since Wesley had shown up, her father and Giles had been around her constantly, one, if not both, present during any time she had to spend with Wesley.  
  
"What about your watcher?" Willow asked and they laughed as Buffy made a face.  
  
"If I need a guy to scream like a girl, I'll give him a call." (( I think that actually a line in a Buffy epi. Could be wrong though, but if it is, it isn't mine..) Buffy told them, as she grabbed more Floo. "Professor Snape's room!" she threw the Floo into the fireplace and stuck her head through, "Dad?" she called out hesitantly. She knew that her father would hear her if he was awake. She waited a second and was about to yell when Snape walked out of the bedroom, black robe pillowing behind him.  
  
"Buffy?" he asked sleepily, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." She said and he gave her the look that said he knew better, "Well I need you to come here," she told him and he nodded, "But I don't want Mom to worry," he looked sharply at her, Buffy never wanted her mother to worry, but was more adamant about it when something was going on, "Please, I'll explain when you get here." He nodded and went back into his room, as Buffy pulled her head back through.  
  
"I'll get Giles." Willow said excitedly, she didn't want to wake Giles, but she was still getting used to the wizarding world and was excited about the Floo network. "GILES!" she screamed, knowing that there was no one in the room with Giles, or at least she hoped there wasn't.  
  
"Son of a.." Giles muttered and Willow giggled as she heard a crash, Giles getting out of bed without his glasses on and finding that the step stool was closer than he actually thought it was, "Willow?"  
  
"Hey," she said, "You need to come to our room, now." She pulled her head back through the fire, before Giles could say anything more. He nodded, even though she couldn't see him, and went to put clothes on.  
  
"You evil child," Xander teased, causing Willow to blush. Snape was the first to arrive, followed closely by Giles.  
  
"Would someone like to explain what is going on?" Snape asked, glaring at the Scoobies that were sitting around. Everyone looked to Buffy to explain the situation, because it was her father after all, him being scary and making everyone slightly afraid was just a side reason, really. She quickly explained everything she knew and when she was finished, Dumbledore had rejoined the group.  
  
"Well," he said, "I found no evidence of portkey." Everyone knew that if he hadn't found anything, then there was nothing there. Everyone was relieved, but this still begged the question of how the person got in, weighing heavily on everyone's mind, no one wanted to ask the question, leaving it to sit in the dark.  
  
"How did they get in, then?" Giles asked finally, knowing that with the question out in the open, they could begin the theories of how the person got into the room in the first place.  
  
"Well," Willow said, "They could have been listening at our portrait, to get the common room password, but that doesn't explain how they got into the boys' room." The group nodded, because it was a plausible explanation, it had been done before. Giles and Ethan used to use that method to sneak into the other houses and prank them or meet a girl or two in their dorms during the night.  
  
"So, how did they get in, then?" Buffy asked, "I would have felt them, even if they were invisible, if they were in the common room." The group shifted uncomfortably, ever since she had been turned into part of the key, she had become more powerful. Dumbledore speculated that Buffy was coming into being a full slayer, but also that she was tapping into the power of the key.  
  
_Flashback  
  
"What do you mean a full slayer?" Buffy asked, "I've been the slayer for the past three years!" She had fought almost every night since her fifteenth birthday, growing stronger and more adamant about the cause with each passing night.  
  
"Yes," Giles replied calmly while his slayer paced in front of him, he refused to acknowledge Wesley as Buffy's watcher, "And you've been growing in strength and power in those three years. A slayer has never made it to their full strength; they have died before this, by demon attack."  
  
"Or the slayer test." Buffy replied bitterly and Giles nodded absently, he still couldn't believe that the Watcher's Council would simply kill a slayer like that. "What does it mean?"  
  
"I'm sorry?" Giles replied, confused, because he had been lost in his thoughts about the council.  
  
"Becoming a full slayer," Buffy said a little impatiently, "what does it mean? Do I finally get a cool pin?"  
  
"No," Giles said, "I am not sure what it means, as I said no slayer has ever become a full slayer, at least not that I know of." He immediately realized that he would need to look further into the subject and with Hogwarts' library, he would be able to.  
  
"Control." Snape said, he had been at every single training that Buffy had and it still amazed him the power that she commanded. The two other looked at him, "It's about control."  
  
"Yes," Giles said thinking through everything, "as the slayer ages, the more they learn, and the less they would need the watcher's council. And if they power grows the more likely they are to survive."  
  
"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Buffy asked confused, because a newbie slayer that needed to be trained would be more of a risk than a slayer who was already trained and could kick ass.  
  
"Information." Giles repeated, "The slayers would learn more and become increasingly difficult to control. The council is afraid that the slayer would realize that they did not need their watcher or the council to do their job." Buffy cleared her throat and Giles smiled fondly, "you were never easily to control."  
  
"Or ever." Buffy replied a huge smile on her face.  
  
End Flashback_  
  
"Uhmm.." Xander became, shifting uncomfortably, knowing that soon everyone would be focused on him and not in a good way, "I might have written the passwords down."  
  
"XANDER!" Willow and Buffy yelled at the same time, while Dumbledore simply looked at the boy and Giles and Snape glared, a glare that would send even a Death Eater running for cover.  
  
"What," he said sheepishly, "there are a lot to remember."  
  
"Where?" Dumbledore asked, drawing Snape and Giles' attention to the problem at hand, as opposed to ideas of how to torture the boy and still let him live.  
  
"Gryffindor Tower, all of it, Sirius' room, your office, the training room." Xander said in a rush, as if he said it fast enough, then it wouldn't be as bad, "And I think that's it." Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"That all needs to be changed." Dumbledore said, "Who could it have been, though?"  
  
"Ask Hope." Buffy said and everyone looked at her blankly, "The portrait that guards our door?" Buffy gestured towards the door that lead out into the night and everyone got up. Dumbledore took the lead, leading them towards the portrait and opening it.  
  
"Hope," Dumbledore began and the blonde little girl in the picture turned to face him, "did you let anyone in earlier this evening?" She played with her blonde hair for a moment, tying it back, her clothes magically changing from a nightdress to her normal robe as she eyed the headmaster.  
  
"Well yes," Hope said finally, deciding that the headmaster was a trustworthy individual. She had met him, but she had never spoken with him, other portraits had, but not her and now she could brag and say she had. The others turned to glare at Xander, who shrunk a little bit, looking for some place to hide.  
  
"Could you tell us what he looked like?" Buffy asked and Hope nodded vigorously.  
  
"He was in black robes with a silver mask." Hope said causing everyone to shudder; they all realized what was being suggested with this. "His eyes were really silver though and his voice was very cultured and smooth. I didn't think that he belonged, but he had the password."  
  
"It's okay, Hope." Dumbledore promised the picture, who was growing more upset with each passing moment. "You did nothing wrong." All of the other portraits would have done the same thing, a few may have left to find him, but they would have let the man in, because he knew the password. Dumbledore wondered if there was some way around that, to specialize each door to the person, to only open to them and the teachers. Shaking his thoughts off, Dumbledore came back to the matter at hand, who entered the tower and for what purpose.  
  
"Malfoy." Buffy hissed, wondering, briefly, if Draco had known that his father was going to pay a visit. She felt hurt, because if he had known and not said anything, there had been no progress made and Draco really wasn't worth saving. She had been so sure that there was something to be saved, but.. Buffy quickly clamped down on those thoughts, she would go down that bridge when she got to it. "Thanks, Hope." She swung the portrait closed and turned to look at the rest of the group as they settled into the various chairs and sofas around the room, "Well, we know who the late night visitor is."  
  
"Uhmm," Willow said, "I hate to be the bearer of bad thoughts, but what if he didn't come alone?"  
  
"Shit!"  
  
"Buffy!" Giles and Snape exclaimed at the same time, the tone one that would be considered fatherly by anyone who heard it.  
  
"That is too freaky for words." Buffy told them, "But that is not the issue right now." Her father and watcher merely raised their eyebrows, "alright, I'm sorry it will happen again, but we have bigger fish to fry then my language."  
  
"While the use of such profanity is not necessary," Dumbledore said and Buffy flushed. Dumbledore had the way of making anyone realize that vulgarity was not necessary and crude. "Ms. Snape does point out the essence of time."  
  
"Dad and Giles will take Sirius' room, Headmaster will take his office and I will take Gryffindor tower." Buffy raised her hand before anyone could interrupt, "I move the quickest and would be the better fighter and the most logical place for attack would be a student's tower. Most likely they are after Harry." They nodded reluctantly, still unsure about letting Buffy go alone. "Also, the Headmaster would know if anything in his office had been taken or moved."  
  
"The password for all the portraits is Teddy Bear." Dumbledore told her, "you will need it in order to change the passwords in the tower. It will override all of them and allow you to change the passwords. Change them all, even to individual dorms, and then tell the students tomorrow. Professor McGonagall and the Headgirl can change them tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks, sir." Buffy said, "Everyone report back here when they are done." She ordered, like the general she had, had to be in previous experiences. Amazingly no one argued, they nodded preparing to go their separate ways, but Willow didn't want her friend out there by herself.  
  
"I'll go with her," Willow suggested and Buffy shook her head negatively, while Giles and Snape nodded, Dumbledore stayed quiet.  
  
"I need you to change the locks on this place." Buffy replied immediately, knowing that Willow would offer she had been doing this more and more. Buffy wasn't sure how she felt about it, but now was definitely not the time to think about it.  
  
"The boys can do it." Willow argued, but the look Buffy shot her said that there would be no argument or if there was, Willow was more than likely to lose the argument.  
  
"I would move faster without you." Buffy said truthfully, not wanting to hurt Willow's feeling by not taking the help, but time was of the essence at that moment, "Look, we need to go," turning away from the others, staring into the fire Buffy threw the Floo powder into the fire, briefly taking a last look at everyone before shouting, "Gryffindor tower." She stepped through before anyone else could argue.  
  
"I know you meant well, dear girl," Giles told her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "But she's used to you guys not offering to fight, just doing the research."  
  
"That's about to change." Willow replied, fierce determination lacing her voice. Giles nodded, before moving towards the fireplace, now was not the time to talk about these things. Willow made plans to look in the library for protection spells for the rest of the Scoobies and some other spells that might come in handy when defeating the Dark Lord.  
  
"Sirius Black's room!" Giles yelled, followed quickly by Snape, who was glowering at having to go the mangy cures room.  
  
"My Office!" Dumbledore stepped through, leaving Xander, Willow, and Oz to their own thoughts.  
  
"Well," Willow said, "Xander fix your guys' room, Oz take Hope, and I will get our room."  
  
"Aye-Aye, sir."  
  
"That's ma'am!" They cracked up and the tension was broken for the moment.  
  
Gryffindor Tower  
  
Buffy stumbled over a party favor not picked up, as she came through the fireplace, deciding that the next time they had a party, they were picking up right afterwards. She looked around the room, quickly seeing the disarray that was still there. The common room was in shambles, there were half-filled cups, the food and drink were still out, but there was no one in the common room. Moving along the wall she quickly checked all the nooks and crannies, still finding nothing, not even a sleeping student.  
  
Sirius Black's Room  
  
Giles stumbled to a stop, still unused to using Floo once again. He sighed, he knew it would take a little bit longer to get used to, but he was glad that traveling was that much easier. He was pulled out of his thoughts as Snape ran into him.  
  
"Bloody He--!"  
  
"Shh!" Snape hissed, clamping a hand over his mouth and dragging him into a dark corner. Snape motioned Giles to one side, while he went the other way. They quickly found that there was no on waiting in the common area of this room. Moving as quietly as they could, they made their way to the bedroom portrait.  
  
"Maybe one of us should change the password to the front portrait first," Giles suggested and Snape rolled his eyes, before nodding. Giles suppressed a snort, the man had clearly been hanging out with his daughter too much. Giles mentally slapped himself as he caught the slang that he was using. They both had been around Buffy way too much.  
  
Gryffindor Tower: Girl's Dorms  
  
Buffy gave the password to the girl's dormitory portrait and entered the corridor. She could clearly see that there was no one in the hallway with her, but the amount of people in the rooms was making her sense go haywire. She could tell that there was no one powerful, like Dumbledore, in the rooms, but other than that, she couldn't tell if the magic was asleep or not. She was hoping that going in there by herself was a good idea, but then remembered that she was impervious to most of the curses, so it was probably a safe bet.  
  
Buffy quickly made her way through the dormitories, finding that some of the girls' were missing from their beds, but they had never made it to them in the first place. She hoped that when she got to the boys' dorms' that they wouldn't be together, but resigned herself to finding a several couples together. Changing the passwords to the girls' dorms she made the walk across the corridor to the boys' entrance.  
  
Dumbledore's Office  
  
"Lumos." Dumbledore said he didn't have the advantage of slayer eyesight. Dumbledore quickly entered his office and found nothing amiss; the place looked like it normally did. He searched diligently through everything, making sure that he was correct in assuming that there was nothing missing. He hoped that everything was where it was supposed to be and that there really was nothing wrong, when he noticed a cabinet opened. Moving towards it, he opened it and cursed, it was school records of all of the students, but also the staff.  
  
Sirius Black's Room  
  
Snape entered Sirius' room quickly, looking around the dark room; he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He could see a shape on the bed and could only hope that it was Sirius and that he was alone. Snape recalled that Sirius was a lady's man when they had been in school, so he was praying to whatever Gods were listening that Sirius was alone in that bed. Moving forward, he reached out a hand, when an arm shot up, wand pointed at him,  
  
"Relax." Snape hissed drawing his own wand on the other wizard, but the arm did not waiver, "Black, it's just me. Professor Dumbledore sent me." He slightly lowered his wand, but Black's wand did not move an inch.  
  
"What the bloody hell are you doing in my room?" Black asked and Snape resisted the urge of hexing the man, especially since he had just explained what he was doing there.  
  
"Dumbledore sent me." Snape replied, wanting to hex him a couple of times, just for old times sake, of course.  
  
"At four in the morning." Black asked dryly and Snape admitted that it did look a tad suspicious. Although, they were on the same side and his daughter had saved Black's life, so why couldn't Black be a tad bit reasonable?  
  
"Look," Snape muttered, "I know it doesn't look good, but would you grow up and look at the facts? I am on your side."  
  
"Me, grow up!" Sirius practically yelled, "What about you?"  
  
"I have grown up quite nicely, thank you." Snape replied, "unlike the mangy dog that you have grown into."  
  
"Why do you always.." Before Sirius could say anything else, Giles walked into the room, took one look at the situation and sighed.  
  
"There has been a slight problem." Giles said from the doorway, causing both men to jump they hadn't noticed Giles come into the room, "if you would stop with the childish antics, we would explain it to you." Snape shot Black a look that clearly said he won that round, "Both of you." Snape's look died and he pouted briefly, before a look of indifference settled on his face. Giles then decided that Snape was spending way too much time with his daughter, because they had the same facial expressions.  
  
Gryffindor Tower: Boys' Dorms  
  
"Teddy Bear," Buffy gave the password to the portrait, who glowered at having to let a girl into the boys' dormitory at four in the morning. She shot the portrait a smug look, before stepping into the corridor and making her way to the first door. She quickly went through the rooms, waking up portraits along the way and changing the passwords as she went.  
  
"Finally." She muttered to herself, coming to stand in front of the last door. "Wake up," the portrait opened one eye and looked at her disdainfully.  
  
"You are in the wrong corridor, miss." The portrait told her, disparagement dripping from each word. "If you go now, I won't wake the entire house up."  
  
"Dumbledore sent me." Buffy told the portrait, the same conversation growing tiring after the fiftieth time, "And before you say that he didn't, I have two words for you," the portrait looked at her, wondering what the two words could be, "Teddy Bear." The portrait glowered at her, but swung open. Buffy shot him a smug look, "Thank you kind, sir." The sarcasm could be detected on each word, but Buffy was already in the room and the door closed. As the blankness enveloped her, she searched the room and noticed that she was in Harry's room, if there was to be any attack it would be in this room. Looking around, she noticed that Harry was not in his bed. Moving forward, her senses on high alert, she could still feel Harry, but that was it, so she knew he was still there. As she reached the bed her senses began to go haywire, a hand fell onto her shoulder.  
  
"What the Hell are you doing?" without thinking, Buffy grabbed the hand around the wrist and threw the person over her shoulder. The person landed in a heap on the floor, with a small moan of pain, Buffy planted her foot on the person, peering at them in the darkness, ready for any attack that may come from the person on the floor.  
  
Scooby's Common Room  
  
Willow, Oz, and Xander sat in front of the fire and waited for the rest of them to come back. They had changed the passwords quickly and efficiently, Xander even remembering the correct pronunciation and words needed to change the passwords. They had then sat down in front of the fire and waited and waited and waited.  
  
"Do you remember Buffy's first day?" Willow asked suddenly not able to take the silence any more.  
  
"Yea," Xander replied, "Jesse knew before anyone else that there was going to be a new girl. He went on about how hot she was supposed to be and then I ran into her, literally." He paused as he remembered the incident, "I fell for her, not even thinking twice when the stake fell out of her bag."  
  
"I remember how hard a time Giles had getting her to even go to training and the such." Willow said, "Did you know she wasn't supposed to befriend us?"  
  
"I was supposed to stop that." Giles said; Snape, Sirius, and him arriving back in the room.  
  
"No visitor?" Oz asked and they shook their heads.  
  
"Are we the first one's back?" Snape asked.  
  
"Yea." Willow replied, "We were just talking about the first time we met Buffy."  
  
"I met her in the library." Giles said, smiling fondly.  
  
"Big surprise." Xander coughed and they all laughed.  
  
"Well, I assumed that she was there for the book on vampire," he smiled wistfully, remembering all the hopes that he had, had for his slayer and each one had been thrown out the window when meeting her, "but she really wanted her books for school. She told me that she wasn't there to slay and left."  
  
"She told me to take a hold of my life." Willow said, looking at Oz and smiling fondly. "Of course I followed that advice and wound up with a vampire, who tried to eat me." The group laughed again.  
  
"I am the one that brought us to Hogwarts." Snape said and everyone really listened, because they hadn't heard how Buffy arrived, just how long she had been there. "I met her and thought she was the typical blonde, but she had an old aura, like she was aged beyond her years. Well, within thirty minutes of meeting with the Headmaster, she came down and announced that I was her father. I didn't take it well," everyone winced, because they could actually imagine it, "and she ran off. I followed and caught her outside. We talked and then we got jumped by a vampire, who knocked me around like I was nothing."  
  
"I know how that feels." Giles muttered, rubbing the back of his head, where he was normally hit and the group laughed, again.  
  
"I met Buffy when she went to Hogsmeade with Oliver." Sirius smiled when Willow gasped, because Buffy hadn't told her, "she changed me out of my dog form and demanded to know why I was following her."  
  
"She made you change?" Willow asked, "What are you and how can you change?" Instead of answering, Sirius changed into the large black dog and back, causing Willow and Xander to gasp. "Oh."  
  
"How did she change you back?" Giles asked, wondering how much power over other's actions that Buffy may have.  
  
"I'm not sure." Sirius replied, "I asked her the same thing and she told me that she wasn't sure. We then talked and got to know each other. She brought me food after patrol each night and we would talk more. I was amazed that Snape could raise such a wonderful child," Sirius shot, "but the credit must go to the mother."  
  
"About what?" Snape asked not taking the bait that had been laid before him, his daughter had mentioned anything to him and judging by Giles' face, she hadn't told him either.  
  
"The past." Sirius said, "I told her about when we were in Hogwarts and about Harry's parents and about the war itself. She really absorbs the information."  
  
"What did she ask about?" Snape asked, Buffy hadn't been acting any differently, but he wasn't sure if that actually meant anything.  
  
"What you were like as a child." Sirius replied, "That type of thing."  
  
"And I'm sure you had fun filling her in." Snape sneered.  
  
"I told her that you were very studious, but I didn't really know you well enough, because you were from a different house and that she should just ask you or her mother." Sirius responded and Snape looked shocked. He would have expected Sirius to fill his daughter's head with all types of tales.  
  
"She inspires all sorts of loyalty and trust, doesn't she?" Dumbledore said softly, stepping into the room from the fire place. "From everyone she meets, she doesn't even know that she is doing it, but by the time you leave, you would give your life to see her smile once more."  
  
"Yes." Willow said immediately, noticing all the nods coming from around the room, "And?"  
  
"I didn't find anyone in my office," Dumbledore told them and there was a collective sigh of relief, "But someone had been there."  
  
"What did they take?" Snape asked quickly, knowing that it had to do with his daughter, he was sure of it.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"But then why break into your office?" Xander asked curiously.  
  
"They went through my student files."  
  
"Your student files?" Xander asked in confusion, "Are those like who our parents are and that type of stuff?"  
  
"That's exactly what it is." Dumbledore replied and he looked at Snape, "it seems that the gig is up."  
  
"What do you mean?" Willow asked, confused, because they hadn't been informed about Snape's spying.  
  
"I am a spy." Snape said and Willow nodded, she had known something was up, but hadn't been sure what it was, "and I haven't told the Dark Lord that I have a daughter, but apparently her record has been looked at, which means that he will soon know."  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
Gryffindor Tower: Boys' Dorms  
  
"Ow." The lump on the floor, under Buffy's foot, exclaimed.  
  
"I was about to ask where the hell you were!" Buffy said in a low tone, as she helped him to his feet. He stepped back cautiously, unsure of what Buffy's reaction to him would be, besides the bruise that he would now have on his arse. "What were you doing out of bed?"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked confused. "Has something happened to Sirius? Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"No." Buffy said, putting the boy at ease, she wouldn't like to him, but she wouldn't tell him everything, it would only cause him more concern. "My room was broken into and Xander apparently left the passwords about, including to the tower, so I have to check and make sure that nothing was going on. This was the last room and I was scared, because you weren't in bed."  
  
"Had to go to the loo." Harry replied, flushing slightly in embarrassment, it had been a long time since he had to explain where he was going to someone. "But your room?"  
  
"Is fine." Buffy stated, "Everyone is fine, Dumbledore just wanted me to check." She moved back towards the door, "Good night Harry, we'll talk tomorrow."  
  
Elsewhere  
  
"Where is the child?" a raspy voice asked the bowed man in the dark black robes and silver mask.  
  
"I was unable to obtain her." The man replied.  
  
"So you failed me, Malfoy?" the raspy voice asked indecorously.  
  
"No my Lord!" he replied, the other man gave him a disbelieving look, "well, yes, but I got information about her."  
  
"And?"  
  
"She is Snape's child."  
  
"Impossible!" the Dark Lord responded, "Snape would have told me."  
  
"It appears that he does not know." Malfoy replied, the records had only stated that she was his daughter and that she had no contact with him, but for school functions, Dumbledore's doing, that she didn't even know that Snape was her father.  
  
"Than we shall have to enlighten him, than won't we?" the Dark Lord replied and smiled evilly, "Get him here."  
  
Scooby's Common Room  
  
"I made the records look as though Professor Snape had no idea that he had a daughter or that his daughter knew about him. They only have contact through school functions." Dumbledore told him, "I was afraid that this would happen when the news got out that there was girl who could withstand curses."  
  
"So," Buffy said stepping through the fire and summing up the situation nicely, "Dad pretends he didn't know and follows the Dark Lord's lead, by trying to seduce me over to the power of dark."  
  
"The tower?"  
  
"Clean." She replied and everyone sighed, "so it sounds as though the Headmaster's office was the only thing hit."  
  
"How do you know that's what Voldemort wants?"  
  
"It makes sense." Buffy said, "if he isn't corporeal, then he needs a body." She paused for everyone, "so, why not one that is immune to almost all of the curses? Heals quickly and has super human strength?" Before they could say anything else, Snape let out a gasp of pain, grasping his left forearm, while he looked up with a haunted look in his eyes, announcing.  
  
"I am being summoned." 


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings or anything else, but me.

Author's Note: I wanna say sorry that it has taken me so long and that it is short. I was in a car accident and was unable to write for a while, but I'm better! Thanks for all the reviews and I hope to have a longer update soon! Thanks to Buffy2theSlayer for betaing for me!

Chapter 19

"Ahh, my most beloved servant." Voldemort hissed as Snape bowed before him, breathing a sigh of relief as the pain in his left forearm let up, before finally stopping. Looking out of the corner of his eye he could see that it was just Lucius and Wormtail, a quick thought of cursing the rat ran through his mind, that were present at that moment. Snape wondered briefly how many of the Deatheaters already knew about his daughter and the plans that Voldemort had for her.

"My lord." Snape replied formally, not moving from his place on the floor beginning to count the number of grains of sand he could see, Voldemort nodded in satisfaction at this, his servant had learned his place. Voldemort focused his attention on Snape, before delving into the memories that would allow him to know whether or not Snape knew about his child or not. Snape could feel Voldemort going through his memories, or the ones that Snape allowed him to see, keeping his expression blank. What Voldemort must have seen pleased him, because he smiled momentarily, before speaking to Snape.

"Come stand beside me." Voldemort said and Snape rose to his feet moving to stand beside the Dark Lord an honor that would show who he favored at that moment. "You would tell me if you had a child, would you not?"

"Yes, my lord." Snape replied back as though bored with the entire conversation, keeping his face impassive and not allowing his voice to change. He squelched the thoughts that attempted to rise with just the thought of his child and he succeeded, but barely it would have been more difficult if he hadn't known what the Dark Lord would be looking for.

"I have great news." Voldemort replied, "You currently have a student named Buffy Snape?"

"Yes." Snape replied while wondering how long Voldemort was going to draw the entire conversation out, he wanted to go home to a not so cold dungeon anymore. "I assumed that she was some distant relative or something." Snape said dismissively, hoping to make the Dark Lord just say whatever he wanted to say and soon, he wanted to get back to Hogwarts.

"She is a relative." Voldemort said smiling slightly at the look of impatience that flashed quickly across Snape's face, "In fact she is your daughter." Voldemort took great delight in the look of disbelief that had crossed Snape's face, especially since He knew that Snape's child was a Gryffindor, but that could be endured, since she was to be His new body.

"That's preposterous!" Snape exclaimed, like anyone receiving the news the first time would have. He paced angrily in front of Lucius and Voldemort, ranting about how the child couldn't be his, because he hadn't been with anyone. He ranted against Lucius and Voldemort for getting his hopes up, because he didn't have a child, but he had always wanted one. "She's a Gryffindor!"

"Ahh, but it's not." Lucius said evilly making Snape stop his pacing, "You remember the young mudblood bitch that you fell in love with?" Snape nodded slowly, holding back the fury that rushed through his body at the way that Voldemort and Lucius mentioned Joyce, "Apparently she was pregnant." Lucius smiled at the uncomfortable look that crossed Snape's face, as though he were finally realizing where the conversation where going. "And she never told you." Lucius said nodding as Snape stood stock still staring at him, before mustering all the anger he could.

"That bitch." He muttered, cringing even as he said it, he hoped that Joyce would never hear about this from anyone, quickly shrugging it off, because he planned that Joyce would never meet Lucius or Voldemort. Lucius laughed even more at his reaction, but was silenced by one look from Voldemort, who was quickly growing tired; he wanted a body to house his magic, a body that would be practically indestructible and Snape's daughter would do that.

"I want you to bring your child to me." Voldemort was tiring of his old, feeble body that constantly had to be restored. He hoped that by taking Snape's daughter's body the connection with Harry Potter would be severed and he could get back to plotting. It was just a bonus that the child was completely immune to almost all magic and was the slayer, that would give him enormous power. Voldemort decided that he could deal with being a female for these reasons, but no one except the two in front of him would know of his plan until it was too late.

"Of course, my Lord." Snape replied silently telling himself that he would rather die than have his child serve the Dark Lord. He may have willingly come to the Dark Lord but his child would not serve the monstrosity that stood before him. "When should I bring her?"

"You should bring her to me within the next month." Voldemort said and Snape nodded before he** disapparented** back to the castle. He started up to the castle, when a snap of a twig alerted his attention. Drawing his wand quickly, he turned, only to find his daughter getting up from a spot on the ground, pulling her cloak around her as she walked towards him.

"Well?" Buffy asked as she moved towards her father. She had been pacing the room back and forth since he had left, driving everyone up the wall, so they had sent her out to kill some vampires, but after eleven she had stopped and simply waited for him to return, much to the relief of the vampire community, who were making plans to run for it the next day.

"He wants to meet you within the month." Snape replied and Buffy nodded briskly. They both left everything unsaid, they knew why the dark lord wanted her and they were both as quickly assured that he would not be getting her. They walked in silence back to the castle, both taking in the other's presence. Ever since they had met they had spent time getting to know each other, but not to soak in the other's presence. The need for talking wasn't demanding, it was more for the awareness of the other person.

Buffy could see his aura and the rippling of power as emotions filtered through him. She had this sudden urge to giggle as she watched his aura move, but decided that it would not be a good thing. She hadn't mentioned this new talent to anyone. Since she had moved off the Hellmouth, everything had become sharper and she had gained some surprising talents, like the aura reading. She could see who had darkness in them and surprisingly Draco Malfoy was not one of them, she could see a taint, but it hadn't grown and could just be caused by his father interacting with him. Crabbe and Goyle, on the other hand, were riddled with darkness, most of it originating from their left forearm.

"And where have you two been?" Joyce asked as the two came through the main doors of Hogwarts. She had woken up about twenty minutes ago and had searched for Buffy and Snape in Buffy's room, before making her way to the Great Hall, where she was met by them walking through the door. They both jumped guilty, exchanging looks, making Joyce realize that there was something big going on, that she had, once again, not been let in on.

"Running." "Hogsmeade." They replied at once, flushing as they realized that they were going to be caught in their own lies. Joyce raised an eyebrow clearly telling them that she didn't believe them and they would wait there until one of them came forward with the correct and truthful information. Buffy and Snape looked at each other, trying to decide which of them should tell her, which one she would react better to.

"Well, it's like this, mom." Buffy said finally, glaring at Snape, because he was sure that Joyce would freak out more if she didn't hear what was going on from Buffy herself. Buffy was surer that her mom would flip out anyways and that Snape just wanted to get out of it. Buffy groaned to herself, as she realized that she would be explaining what happened last night to a lot of people and she wasn't looking forward to this. She did not think that this would be in the Slayer's Handbook either!

Later: Great Hall

"Would someone like to tell me what's going on?" Harry asked, sitting down between Willow and Xander. They shifted uncomfortably, looking at each other and wondering what they should tell Harry. Buffy had mentioned that she had run into Harry last night, but they weren't sure what was said. They were also unsure of what information could be said, without everyone hearing it.

"Someone broke into the castle." Buffy told him, sitting next to them. Willow and Xander looked Buffy over she looked extremely tired and older than she should be. Willow shot Xander a look, nodding to their tired looking friend, clearly saying,

"See, she is only human!" Xander nodded his head in agreement with the statement, his eyes now open to the vulnerable slayer that was in front of him. Willow and Xander watched Harry nod before waiting for Buffy to continue, "They tried to kill Xander and they went after my school records."

"So he knows?" Harry asked he knew that there was probably more to it than that, but he would wait a little bit for Buffy to come forward with the information. It was Buffy's turn to nod her head. Harry sighed and looked around the Great Hall, discreetly checking out the Slytherin Table to see if anyone of them was staring at Buffy, he wondered how many of them knew whose daughter she was. He wondered, briefly, if there would be any difference in the treatment of Buffy, now that news might have gotten out.

"Who knows what?" Ron asked as Hermione and he joined into the conversation that was being whispered back and forth at their end of the table. Ron and Hermione had been late, because Ron refused to get out of bed and Hermione had resorted to an old trick that her father had taught her, a glass of cold water being poured over his head, woke him real quick. She stifled giggles at the picture that he had made, wet red hair going everywhere, a perplexed look followed by one of annoyance as realization dawned on the red head. Ron glared at Hermione, who quickly stifled the giggles, turning her attention to Buffy.

"Who I am." Buffy replied and Hermione winced, she caught on quickly about the situation, while Ron stared at them dumbly for a few moments, he was still partially asleep from being woken up so rudely.

"Again I ask, who?"

"The Dark Lord." Hermione whispered to Ron, who paled at this and looked like he really hadn't wanted to know after all. Ron pushed the food in front of him towards the opposite end of the table,

"I don't feel that well anymore." Ron announced and Buffy nodded her agreement. They all pushed their food towards the middle of the table, not noticing the teachers who took a sudden interest in this. Joyce looked ready to stand up and march over, but was quickly stopped by Snape, who whispered something in her ear and forced her to sit back down.

"Aww does Ickle Ronnikons feel sickywicky?" Fred asked as he and George took seats near them. Oliver slid in next to Buffy shooting glares toward the Slytherin table, he didn't know what was going on, but he got the feeling that they were being watched by that particular table.

"What's going on?" he asked and Buffy looked at him, sighing inside, because she really didn't want to tell him, because she was afraid that he would freak out, much the way her mother had.

"Someone broke into the school last night and tried to kill Xander." Buffy said and Oliver looked towards Xander who just nodded, "But it was all a diversion, because they also broke into Dumbledore's office to look at student records," Oliver's eyebrows shot up in realization, "my student records."

"And?" Oliver said.

"And He called dad," Buffy replied and Oliver shuddered, discreetly looking at Professor Snape, who didn't look any worse for wear, "Dad was told that he has a long lost daughter, me, and Lucius had great delight in telling Dad, hoping to break him or make him snap one or the other. Dad has a month to bring me to the side of dark, so that He will have a new body."

"That no good, slimy git!" Ron announced getting a glare from Buffy.

"For your sake you had better not be referring to my father!" Buffy replied and Ron gulped, afraid for his life, as Willow and Xander place a calming hand on the raging slayer. She calmed slightly, but not enough for either friend to remove their hands. Malfoy looked sharply at the Gryfindor table,

_'Calm down you crazy bint,' he thought to her, attempting to send his thoughts to Buffy, 'The entire school doesn't know but they will if you don't keep quiet.'_ He stared at Buffy noticing the slight jump as his thoughts hit her. She glanced at him quickly nodding, before turning back to her friends, none of them the wiser.

_'You and I will be having a little chat later today,' _Buffy replied and it was Malfoy's turn to look a little shocked. He didn't think that Buffy had that particular power.

_'Where and when?'_

"Miss Snape!" McConnagal yelled, "Please keep your voice down or I will have to remove house points." Buffy jumped startled out of her thoughts, before she flushed red, before sinking lower in her seat, glaring at the entire table as they attempted to keep their laughter to a minimum. Snape hid his smile behind a napkin as he attempted to glare at the Gryffindor table, trying to keep up appearances.

_'The Library after Lunch.'_

"Course not." Ron replied in a lowered voice, so as not to get yelled at like Buffy had, "I was referring to the Ferret's father!" Buffy gave him an incredulous look, but said nothing, nodding her head in acceptance. She had forgotten what had been said, being startled out of her conversation with Malfoy. She didn't know what was going on, she had no idea how she was able to talk to Malfoy, but she wasn't complaining. She wanted to know why he hadn't taken the mark and what his intentions were. She looked at her father and caught his eyes before motioning towards the door. At his discreet nod she looked to her friends,

"I need to go, guys." She said, "I'll see you in potions." She got up and quickly made her way out of the hall, much to the dismay of her friends, who didn't have a chance to tell her that it was Saturday and there was no class today.

"She's a strange girl," Fred commented, or at least Hermione was pretty sure it was Fred, but one could never tell with the twins, who liked nothing better then to have a laugh at someone else's expense.

"How many of them do you think know?" Harry asked the assembled Scoobies nodding his head toward the Syltherin table. They shrugged all or them wondering the same thing. "How can she be so calm about this all?" Harry didn't know how Buffy did it, she had this huge destiny and found out she had an even bigger destiny, yet the thing that seemed to worry her the most was school and her friends. She came here to get away from everything and she was thrown into a world where she played a huge part. Harry had found out his destiny at about the same time and he was having a hard time dealing with it all.

"She's Buffy." Willow replied like that explained everything. No matter what needed to be faced, she was always there watching over her friends and being their support. Oliver watched her friends and he wondered how they could all be so blind. Buffy wasn't dealing with it calmly, she was planning an attack and he refused to let her do it alone. Getting up without a word he followed the direction that his girlfriend had taken.

"Was it something we said?"


	20. Chapter 20

1Disclaimer: I am not Joss, nor am I J.K. Rowlings or anything else, but me.

Author's Note: I wanna say sorry that it has taken me so long and that it is short. Thanks for all the reviews and I hope to have a longer update soon!

Chapter 20

Buffy made her way out of the hall, checking every now and then to make sure that there was no one following her. She reached the dungeons when a hand grabbed her. Instead of screaming like the person thought she would, she bit the hand and turned to glare at him.

"Was that necessary, father?" she asked snidely and Snape nodded slowly. He wanted to see if she had known he was there and if her lack of fear was anything to go by, she had. "What is it?"

"I know that look," he said softly, "you are planning something and I want to know what it is." Buffy fidgeted for a moment wondering what she should tell him and then decided truth would be the best option.

"I need your help," she said slowly, "I know now that Voldemort will never leave me alone, I have the perfect body for him, all the power and healing. I can't sit around here and wait for him to decide that now would be a good time to attack. I have to do it now,"

"Why now?"

"I don't know," she replied, "there is something coming and I'm not sure what it is. I can just feel it and I know that it's going to be big and I refuse to deal with Voldemort and whatever it is at the same time." Snape nodded slowly, acknowledging her words, he understands her wanting this to be over and he really couldn't blame her. "I can't explain this to you right now, but Malfoy is right behind me and you don't want him catching us talking." Leaning up she gave him hug and a kiss on the cheek, "love you dad,"

"Love you too," he replied, watching as she slipped into the library, he quickly hid in the shadows and watched as Malfoy followed her in moments later.

Inside the library

"This had better be good, Malfoy," Buffy exclaimed as he came into the library behind her, he jumped for a minute wondering how the hell she knew it was him, "You had better start explaining how the hell you are able to talk to me telepathically."

"It's a family trait," Draco replied as he eyed the slayer who was angrily pacing in the room. She looked like a cage lion and he wondered who was unlucky enough to deserve her wrath, "Luckily it skips every other generation, so my father was not born with it." Draco thought of all the times that he would have been beaten even more if his father had known what he was thinking. "But that's not what you really wanted to talk about is it?"

"No," Buffy stated finally, she looked Draco over and noticed the glamour that seemed to be surrounding his aura. "Finite," Buffy murmured, she gasped as the spell dropped and she could see the bruises that Draco had received. "He's mad because you haven't delivered me to him, isn't he?"

"Yes," Draco replied, he didn't even have to ask who he was, Draco knew without a doubt. He pulled his wand, planning to put the charm back up, but Buffy stopped him. Buffy felt sorrow emit from the boy, because his father did not accept him for who and what he was, and instead the bastard wanted to use his only son as a means to appease a monster. Buffy wanted nothing more than to hurt Lucius at that moment, but she knew that when the time was right it would be Draco that did it and not her, because Draco was learning that his father couldn't be trusted.

"I can help with that," Buffy told him, he looked skeptical, but Buffy handed him a vial. Sniffing it, Draco gave a look of disgust and raised an eyebrow at Buffy, "I know it smells horrible, but it will help with everything, I should know since it was made for me after patrols." Realization dawned on Draco's face and he immediately drank up, making a revolted look as it went down his throat.

"Thank you," he croaked out, he could feel it helping him immediately, everything was no longer sore and the cuts and bruises were disappearing. "What is you really wanted to know though?" at Buffy's look he smirked, "I'm a Slytherin after all. I know when there is an ulterior motive."

"I wanted to know who knows about Snape being my father?" Buffy responded, sending a smirk of her own. She watched the flash of emotions cross Draco's face and realized that it was out of his hands, he wouldn't be able to stop the rumors from getting out, it was a matter of time until the populace would know, "How long do I have?"

"Not long," Draco replied, "We Slytherins like to make sure there are no secrets in the school. The more trouble we can cause the better." At Buffy's look he continued, "If you are being pestered and troubled then you are going to be pushed away, you will be forced to join the dark side." Buffy nodded slowly, realizing what he was saying. Although Gryffindor is known for its bravery, if this were to come out, than she will be abandoned. Snape was one of the most hated teachers, the most hated actually. No matter how vivacious Buffy was, no matter how well liked, if this came out, no body would want to be her friend, they would be too afraid that she was to become a Death Eater.

"This can work in our favor." Buffy declared, giving Draco a smirking look. A look suddenly overtaking her, Draco wasn't sure whether to be relived or worried.

"What can?" Oliver asked, he hadn't been close enough to hear the two whispering, but if the two of them were going to get into trouble the world would burn. Buffy turned and smiled at her boyfriend, who returned the smile immediately. When he had heard about what had happened the night before he wanted to go running down to her room, but he knew that Snape had been called and that she would be waiting for his return. She had looked so tired when she had come in that morning, like she had spent too many hours arguing. He hadn't wanted to pressure her to tell him what was going on, but when the Slytherin boy had followed her out, that was it for him.

"We are going on the attack." Buffy declared and the two boys looked at her waiting for the plan of attack. She pulled them closer and began to describe her plan of attack.

Snape's room

"You just left," Joyce said, "I was so worried. I always wondered where Buffy got it from, well now I know. It's you, she's just like you, can't sit still for any reason." She gave him the disapproving mom look and he had to fight the urge not to squirm under it.

"Well, what did you want me to tell the Dark Lord?" he asked sarcastically, "I am sorry master, but I couldn't be here on time, because I had to say goodbye to the love of my life?" Joyce's expression softened slightly at this, "You know the one that was supposed to have died all those years ago? Yes the muggleborn one." Realization dawned on Joyce, but Snape kept going, "while I am at it, why don't I put a sign on myself that says I am a spy for the Order and he should kill me immediately?" Joyce began to cry at this, she didn't want him to die, not since she just got him back. Snape quickly pulled himself out of the rant and gathered her into his arms. "I'm sorry my love,"

Library

The boys gathered around as Buffy began to explain her plan. She was going to have Snape give information to Voldemort to attack during the last Quidditch match of the season. There would be so many people that they would be forced to acknowledge that Voldemort was back. It sounded great in theory but Oliver knew something that no one else did, Buffy had a Hell God after her. What was she going to do when Glory showed up at the match as well. He went to comment but she shook her head, she knew what he was thinking and was already planning for it. He was deeply impressed and saddened at the same time, she was so old, older than her years and had been leading a war that no one should have to.

"What do I need to do?" Malfoy asked, he didn't catch on to the subtle conversation going on between Buffy and Oliver, he was focused on getting out of the clutches of his father and the Dark Lord.

Snape's Room

"You could start by telling me the truth," Joyce said, "How much danger is our daughter in?"

"A lot," Snape said finally, he did not want to tell her what was going on any more than he wanted Buffy to be in danger, but you didn't always get what you wanted, "She wants to lure the Dark Lord to the Quidditch match with the promise of her body,"

"Why the Quidditch match?" Joyce asked, it was public, too public for the slayer to do what she needed to do.

"So that there would be so many people the Ministry would be forced to admit that the Dark Lord has returned," Snape said quietly, she had gotten so many people to believe that the Dark Lord still had followers and the next step was to get people to pop their bubbles of denial and join Hogwarts in reality.

"There's something else isn't there?" Joyce asked and Snape nodded, she waited impatiently, determined not to close her eyes and turn her back on her daughter's world anymore.

"She is the Key." Snape replied, "There was a Hell Goddess who was getting too powerful in her dimensions. Her brothers decided to kick her out and created a human shell for her."

"What does this have to do with my baby?"

"This Hell Goddess wants to go home," Snape said, "There is a key that will unlock all dimensions it is protected by monks. These monks fearing that the Goddess was after them took blood from a baby infused this child with the Key." Realization began to dawn on Joyce, "This child had to be especially strong, someone that could withstand being the key, like a slayer or a potential slayer. The monks hoped that this Goddess would be unable to detect the Key, but if she did this child would be able to protect herself."

"My baby," Joyce whispered softly.

"Yes," Snape replied, "But infusing this potential slayer or slayer had unforeseen consequences, because the monks did not know that this child was a magical child already. By infusing this child with the essence of the key, it strengthened the slayer,"

"Making her basically invincible,"

"Even against bodily invasions," Snape replied, "Which is why she had such a difficult time when she was infected with an aspect of a demon,"

"Because her body was fighting it," Joyce replied, "But it almost killed her!"

"Yes," Snape said, "But the aspect was holding on to where it infected her, Voldemort has no hold on her, cannot control her, and cannot invade her body."

"How do we know this Hell Goddess won't attack her when Voldemort does?"

"Because she is within a time limit and the time for the spell is not at hand."

Gryffindor Tower: Boy's Room night before

"Potter, Xander, Oz," Oliver called out and the boys slowed down, "I need to chat with you,"

Gryffindor Tower: Girls Room Night Before

"Willow, Ginny, and Hermione," Buffy yelled motioning them over, "I need your help,"

Slytherin Tower: Night Before

"Pansy," Malfoy called, although he would never date her, he did care for her and she was one of the few Slytherins that could be trusted, "Get Blaise, I need your help."

The Room of Requirment

Everyone entered the room quietly, with Buffy shutting the door behind her.

"As you know," Buffy began, "we are at war, a war that no one really knows about."

"What is he doing here?" Harry asked pointing to Malfoy and the other two Slytherins that had been chosen.

"In war, everyone chooses a side, these are the people that know we are at war and are fighting the good fight," Buffy said with finality, "We do not have a lot of time. Tomorrow is the last Quidditch match, my dad is going to lure Voldemort to the match with the promise of my undying loyalty and the use of my body. I need your help." She quickly laid the plan out for everyone involved. The looks ranged from shock to disbelief, but in the end Buffy won their belief in her.

Some dank cellar

"My lord," Snape said, "she is under my control, which means she is under your control,"

"When," Voldemort hissed, "When can I have her body?"

"Tomorrow,"

Room of Requirement

"Focus," Buffy said as she tested everyone's shields. She threw blast after blast at them, until everyone was ready, until their shields did not drop. "Alright, let's go to bed,"

Next day: Quidditch Pitch

"Harry," Ron said whispering, "have you noticed anything funny about Hermione?"

"What you mean like the bags underneath her eyes or the fact that she is taking so many classes, some of which overlap and yet her professors swear she is at every one?" Harry asked sarcastically, "No I hadn't noticed,"

"Just checking mate," Ron replied, before leaving as the horn sounded.

"Here come the Gryffindors!" Lee Jordan yelled as the Gryffindors took the field, "Led by Oliver Wood, this team is sure to kick ass!"

"LEE!" McCongall yelled and Lee cringed, before continuing on.

"Next is the luscious Buffy, who has a body to die for,"

"LEE!" he started to bolt for it, continuing his introduction of Buffy,

"But watch out guys! This hot tamollia is all Oliver Wood's!" Lee dodged McCongall's arms and looked to see who was up next, "Spinnett," was all he got out as McConagall caught him and sat him down next to her, "Potter, Weasley, and Weasley," he finished quickly. The Slytherin's were the next to take the field. "Here comes the Slytherin team, led by Flint, the no good," the mike was snatched out of his hands and he glared at the Transfiguartion teacher, who quirked an eyebrow.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch said, everyone got on their brooms, "Three… two… one…!" everyone took off into the air.

"Gryffindor in possession, Spinnett has the quaffle, fake passing to Buffy, who barely dodges a bludger sent her way by that no good slimy snake, Flint." Lee receives a sharp glare, but continues on, "Flint moves towards summers at an amazing speed, colliding right into her! Buffy grabs a hold of his broom and holds on as he shoots into the sky, I can't see what's happening but the broom is going out of control, I think Flint has lost control with the luscious Buffy on board. The broom seems under control and it is descending," Everyone waited with baited breath as the broom came down, Flint had a grin on his face as an unconscious Buffy hit the ground,

"You son of a bitch!" Oliver yelled, jumping off his broom and reaching Buffy. He cradled her in his arms as he glared at Flint, "If anything happened to her I am going to…"

"You are going to what?" Flint interrupted gloating, "Something is going to happen your precious Buffy, she is going to become the vessel for the Dark Lord," Flint looked around as though he were waiting for someone to make a move and everyone was wondering who. They didn't have long to wait as a dark and gloomy feeling seemed to take over the entire place. Everyone gasped in fright as Dementors began to storm the field, taking care of the Professors area first. A loud pop was heard as two men appeared in the Quidditch Pitch. One was a barely formed man who was being held by a man with a ugly white skeleton mask on. With one word the dark mark appeared in the sky, causing students to scream and try to flee, but the dementors were there holding the students in their seats.

"Ahh, my loyal servants," the man rasped out as others with the skeleton masks appeared in the stadium, "You have arrived in time for my rebirth. You," he said addressing the masses of students, "are lucky, for tonight you will witness a most glorious event, the rebirth of the Great Lord Voldemort!"

"What's so great about you?" Ginny asked stepping boldly forward as the others discreetly took out their wands, "You couldn't even kill a child," the Dark Lord looked like he was about to respond, but she continued, "I would worry, if I were you," Ginny told the Deatheaters,

"Why is that, little girl?"

"Why do you trust a man who couldn't kill a child?" she asked, "The most powerful wizard in the world, as you say, who couldn't kill a child. It should have been like taking candy from a baby, but he had some difficulty with that,"

"And," Harry said as he stepped forward, "he couldn't kill me last year as a ghost or the year before with that weakling Quirrell." The Deatheaters looked towards their Dark Lord for leadership,

"Kill them," Voldemort rasped moving towards Buffy. With a flick of his hand Oliver was sent flying, placing his hand on her head he sank his essence into her body. He was too concerned with feeling superior, that he never noticed the small smirk that appeared on Oliver's face as he slowly came to his feet.

"Surprise!" Buffy exclaimed as she captured his mind within hers. She could feel the shock reverberate through him, because he was her now, wasn't he? "What? Your surprised?" she asked mockingly, "Didn't you find it a little odd that dad had turned me so quickly? It's only been a couple of days," she smirked, "I can tell by your surprise that you are. Too bad I was expecting a big bad that actually put up a fight," Shrugging she went to work on expelling him from her mind and body. She cut off his ties to his old body, ensuring that he would be unable to go any where expect for where she wanted him and then meticulously scraped every part of his essence off of her. Crumbling him into a ball she pushed him into the snitch that she held hidden in her hand.

Buffy wasn't sure how long she was out, but when she woke up Oliver was by her side again. She knew that, although he was stopped, for now at least, he wasn't dead she found that he had ties still in this world, ones like the diary that she couldn't contain within the snitch because technically they were not a part of him, now.

"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded weakly, holding her hand up to show him the snitch that was no longer golden. He took the jar that Hermione had created, an unbreakable one, and placed the snitch inside of it, closing the lid tightly. Looking around she saw that the Deatheaters were advancing on the students, their backs turned to Buffy, all convinced that their Dark Lord would win against a child.

"Right as rain," she said standing, she noticed that certain students moved to a perimeter like station, like it was planned, "We need to go to the Slytherin side," she told him, Ginny and Harry had Gryffindor, Blaise and Pansy had Syltherin, Malfoy and Ron had Ravenclaw, Xander and Oz had Hufflepuff, and Willow and Hermione had the teachers. Oliver made a face but they made their way over to the Slytherin side, he understood that Buffy wanted to be were everyone could see her for this attack, "One… Two… Three! EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The dementors were faced with multiple Patronus charms, not all were cast perfectly but enough so that they were forced back. The DeathEaters stopped as they realized their biggest asset was fleeing. They turned to retrieve their dark lord when they realized nothing was left of him and the girl was standing there with her wand raised, "One… Two… Three! STUPEFY!" Deatheaters went down all over the place, students started raining in simple charms that they had learned while the outside perimeter kept a Protego shield raised around the class.

"You did it!" Harry yelled, "You killed him!"

"No," Buffy commented, "He is still alive I will not be the one to kill him, no matter how much I want to," she knew that Harry had his destiny and she would be able to help him, but not in that final moment. That final moment would be his, "You have your destiny,"

"I don't want it," Harry spat out.

"It doesn't matter if you want it or not, you have your destiny and the more you ignore it the more unprepared you will be and the more innocent people that we will lose to that madman," Buffy told him, before they could continue they heard a rustle, as Flint tried to make a run for it, "STUPEFY!" They laughed as he fell face down into the muddy ground. "Serves him right."

"This is the Aurors, everyone put down their wands," The students cautiously put down their wands, while the perimeter students kept up their Protego shields, until told other wise by Buffy. The Aurors took the field, moving towards the downed Deatheaters and checking them. After performing a Incarcerous spell on the downed men, the Aurors turned to the students, "Please put down your wands,"

"How do we know who you are?" Buffy asked and the other nodded, they had come to far protecting the students to allow the chance that these might not be Aurors. "Prove to us that you are Aurors,"

"How?" one of them asked stepping forward, this girl reminded him of his mentor Auror.

"Tell me something only an Auror would know," Buffy demanded nodding to Harry who was whispering in her ear, before retaking his place, "Tell me where Harry stayed at the beginning of this year and why?"

"He was at the Leaky Pub," an pink haired girl said, "Because he had accidentally blown up his aunt."

"Alright," Buffy said nodding to the students who lowered their wands and the spells dropped, "Willow, Hermione, Ginny get to the teachers. They need choclate and bed rest. Harry and Ron take Gryffindor to the Great Hall with…" she trailed off looking at the pink haired Auror,

"Tonks."

"with Tonks," Buffy continued, "Blaise and Pansy take Slytherin to the Great Hall with…" she looked to Tonks for help,

"Moody,"

"with Moody. Xander and Oz take Hufflepuff with.."

"Dawlish,"

"Right and Oliver and Draco take Ravenclaw to the Great Hall with.."

"Shacklebolts,"

"Alright," Buffy said, "you have your assignments." The students turned to go to their towers, "Remember that we just chased off the dementors they may come back, keep one protector in front and the other in back, keep your shield charms up and be wary of any shadow. I want a report when you have reached the Great Hall, send a signal flare into the air. If I do not see one within five minutes, I will come looking for you. Dismissed." The students quickly fell into line with their protectors and one Auror. Buffy turned to face the Aurors that were left after the last student had left.

"Buffy," Willow called and her friend turned to her, "we need to get them out of here, they aren't conscious." Buffy nodded and made her way over to Willow, grabbing a hold of two of the teachers she popped out and was back within moments, this time she took Willow and another teacher. Then Ginny and anther teacher and then Hermione and another teacher. This continued until the last of the teachers had appeared into the hospital wing. Buffy returned to the field,

"So," Buffy said quietly, "what is going to happen to them?"

"They will be taken into custody and placed in Azkaban, where they will receive the Dementor's kiss."

"The Dementors are not on our side anymore," Buffy said and the Auror shook his head as though she were a stupid child,

"Of course they are,"

"No," she replied, "They have been here attacking these students and I am sure if you check into Azkaban you will find that most of your Deatheaters are gone, as well as the Dementors." The Auror shook his head at the child and went to explain to her that the Dementors were good, when he felt happiness shrinking from him, he could feel it leaving his body. "Cold, isn't it?" Buffy asked, "Feeling all your happiness sucked out of you, while they close in, should I let them get closer so that you can tell if they are on our side?"

"NO!" the man exclaimed shakily, moving to turn around,

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Buffy exclaimed and the Auror could feel happiness return. "Still think they are on our side?"

"No," a soft voice was heard, "they are on my side, my little key." Buffy turned around she could feel her blood freeze, she was sure Glory would not have shown until it was close to the time, unless the time frame had moved up. Buffy stepped back and ran into Anlon who had flown down and landed behind her during the slight altercation. She felt relief flood through her, if Anlon was there that meant Glory could not take her, she wasn't ready to go, not yet, not ever.

"What do you want here, Hell beast?" Glory jumped, because she had not seen or heard the creature arrive behind Buffy, but it had arrived at some point. She seethed as she watched the creature protect her Key. She had hoped by bringing along the Dementors the creature would be distracted and unable to protect her Key. She wondered what she could do to get this creature to let this child go.

"I have come for my Key," Glory responded and the creature smirked at her, if they could smirk. "There will come a time when you will not be protecting my little key," Glory replied before she too disappeared.

"How did you know to come here?" Buffy asked Anlon, after she had hugged him for keeping her safe.

"That would be me," Hermione replied stepping forward, she had seen what had happened to Buffy after her altercation with Glory and knew that she had to do something to stop it.

"But how?" Buffy asked, "I just put you into the hospital with the teachers. I just saw you,"

"This is a time turner," Hermione replied holding up the clock that Buffy had assumed was a watch or something, "It allows me to fold back time and…" she noticed the glazed look Buffy got and sighed, "It allows me to go back in time and I can change things," Buffy nodded,

"You need to tell the boys," Buffy said and Hermione nodded, she didn't want to, but she knew that the boys would wonder how she did it as well.

"I know and I will, tonight," Hermione replied, spinning the turner and disappearing.

"Let's get to the castle," Buffy said as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, "Before anything else can arrive." The others nodded, while Buffy began her disappearing act once again, grabbing a hold of the Aurors one by one, until everyone was safe inside the school.

"Buffy!" Buffy spun to see her mom running towards her, without a thought she took off running to her mom, who gathered her in a hug. Buffy smiled as she felt her mom's arms come around her.

"Let's go, mom," Buffy said pulling her mom to the Great Hall where the different students were assembled. "I want a report," Joyce watched as her daughter systematically checked that each group of students had arrived to the Great Hall without incidence. When she had gotten the report on the students she checked on the teachers in the Hospital wing. Joyce couldn't help but compare her daughter to a general in a army of several students and it seemed that they were winning the war. She chuckled softly as her daughter ordered the Aurors around and although they seemed disgruntled about this, they did what she bid.

Everyone jumped in fright as the doors to the Great Hall exploded inward, as though kicked by a large force. Buffy and the others whirled to attention, wands at the ready as a lone figure walked into the room. Buffy took in the woman as she walked into the hall, she was taller than Buffy, but hey who wasn't? She had dark brown hair, straight, and her persona just screamed dangerous!

"Hey, B!" the young woman exclaimed taking in all the witches and wizards, "The name's Faith, vampire slayer reporting for duty!" There was a gasp heard around the room, there was only supposed to be one at a time! "My watcher sent me, said something about a dark power rising."


End file.
